Listed below are men associated with Stour Provost who gave their lives during the Second World War.
Research was undertaken by Wendy Waters of Stour Provost.
If you have anything to amend or add to these stories, please contact the website manager at office@gillinghammuseum.co.uk
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PROJECT IN PROGRESS
ANDREWS Douglas Haig
6029096 Private Douglas Haig Andrews, 2/5th Battalion, Essex Regiment died 22 January 1943 age 26.
Douglas was born on 26 June 1916 to parents Edgar and Mary Caroline Andrews who lived at Dover Street, Stour Row, near Stour Provost. In 1921 the family consisted of Edgar, Mary, Douglas 4 and his siblings John, Bertha, Caroline, and Arthur. In 1939 Douglas, now a carpenter like his father, was living at home with his parents and sister Kathleen.
Douglas’ early army service is currently unknown but in July 1942 he was serving in North
Africa with the 2/5th Essex Battalion. The Battalion was overwhelmed at Deir-El-Shein but all ranks have the satisfaction of knowing that the delay their resistance caused Rommel's Africa Korps was an essential factor in gaining time for the withdrawing Eight Army to reorganize and stand on the El Alamein Line.
Douglas was taken prisoner at El Alamein and imprisoned on the North African coast along with 10,000 men. He spent six months there with very little clothes, food and water, before being conveyed to Italy under awful conditions of transit.
Douglas died of dysentery and pneumonia on 22 January 1943 in Fermo Hospital, Italy and was buried there in the Hospital cemetery. He was later re-buried: 15 January 1945 in Ancona Military War Cemetery, Ancona, Provincia di Ancona, Marche, Italy, Grave Reference: II. M. 3.
His Headstone Inscription reads:
“Forget him,
No, we never will
We loved him here
We love him still”
Douglas is also remembered on the brass plaque sited on the north wall of St. Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Stour Provost and the memorial plaque in Stour Row Village Hall (right).
Entry posted 30 July 2024 (WW/DJL)
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BORGINO Eric Gordon
7687414 Corporal Eric Gordon Borgino, Corps of Military Police, died 10 July 1943, age 29.
Family history records indicate that Eric’s birth was registered in 1914 having been born at 42 Chinnor Road, Thame, Oxfordshire – his mother’s surname given as Scott (maiden name). Eric was the son of Francis G Borgino, veterinary surgeon and May Elspeth Borgino, who lived at Bramble Cottage, French Mill Lane, Shaftesbury (c.1938-1940), Woodville Cottage, Woodville, Stour Provost (1941-1953), and St.Mary's Cottage, Well Lane, Enmore Green (1954-1959).
Eric is also known to have lived at Woodville Cottage and also 2 New Villas, Holton, Higher Holton, near Wincanton, Somerset (1939 Register – staying with the Lewis family). His occupation was Automobile Association Patrolman.
Theatre of war: - Once Tunisia had been captured in May 1943, the next logical step for the Allies was to invade Sicily. The decision was taken at the Casablanca Conference by the Allied leaders and Chiefs of Staff and the codename ‘Husky’ assigned to the operation. The key factors in authorising this operation were to utilise the growing number of American formations arriving in the Mediterranean (as there was no reasonable prospect of a ‘second front’ in North West Europe in 1943) and to force Italy out of the war.
The landings on Sicily on 10 July 1943 were the largest of any seaborne operation during the Second World War. Parachute and glider borne landings were made by the British 1 Airborne Division and 82 U.S. Airborne Division, with landings by sea undertaken by three British, one Canadian and three U.S. infantry Divisions. Supporting armoured units were also put ashore, as were British commandos and U.S. rangers.
The intention was for the British 8 Army to advance up the eastern coast of the island, with the Americans taking the west of the island. In the event, the British met stiff resistance from German forces, whilst the Americans exploited less resistance to sweep around Mount Etna from the west to capture Messina on 16 August 1943. The Germans managed, however, to successfully withdraw the vast majority of their forces safely back onto the Italian mainland.
Eric died on 10 July 1943 - Killed in Action on the first day of landings.
Buried at the time in Cassibile (George Beach) Cemetery, Syracuse, Provincia di Siracusa, Sicilia, Italy but whose grave is now lost.
He is remembered with Honour at the Syracuse War Cemetery, Sicily.
Headstone Inscription:
“Their glory shall not be blotted out”
Grave Reference: Special Memorial E.
Eric is also remembered on the brass plaque sited on the north wall of St. Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Stour Provost.
Entry posted 30 July 2024 (WW/DJL) Updated 31 July 2024
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Frederick Francis RIDEOUT
1097455 Gunner Frederick Francis Rideout, 64th Anti-Tank (Queen's Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery, died 28 April 1943, age 34.
Frederick was born on 21 February 1909 to parents Frank and Lilian Rideout.
In 1911, the family were living at 30 Melbury Abbas – Frank 27, Lilian 23, Mabel 3, Frederick 2, and Arthur 4 months.
In 1921 they were living at Holm & Ivy Farm, St. James, Shaftesbury – Frank 38, Lilian 33, Mabel 13, Frederick 12 and Arthur 10.
Frederick married Bertha Fanny Prince on 7 October 1933.
The 1939 Register shows Frederick and Bertha at Shaftesbury Road, Stour Row together with daughter Margaret aged 5. Frederick is a general labourer for Dorset County Council.
Theatre of war: - Capture of Tunis: Simultaneous operations against Axis ground, air and sea forces in Tunisia in April and May 1943 served to tighten the stranglehold on the remaining German forces, who had been pursued eastwards towards the sea. German air transport capabilities were targeted and severely hindered under Operation Flax, whilst an Allied naval blockade was enforced under Operation Retribution. These efforts to starve out the German forces trapped in Tunisia were highly effective and made large scale evacuation attempts impossible. Ground forces made their final push towards the coast in Operation Vulcan from the end of April but made slow progress against well-prepared German defensive positions. With the British drive towards Tunis and the American drive towards Bizerte capturing both cities on 6 May, final pockets of German resistance held out in the surrounding area for a further week. The final German surrender came on 13 May with a total of 240,000 Axis troops laying down their weapons.
Frederick died on 28 April 1943 - Aged 34 and is buried at the Oued Zarga War Cemetery, Oued Zarga, Béja, Tunisia - Grave Reference: 1. C. 12. with a headstone inscription: “Until the day break and the shadows flee away”
The Cemetery contains 247 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
Frederick is also remembered on the brass plaque sited on the
north wall of St. Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Stour Provost, the memorial plaque in Stour Row Village Hall and by the Dorset County Council Staff Commemoration Stone, on the green just outside of the Military Museum in Bridport Road, Dorchester.
Entry Posted 30 July 2024 (WW/DJL)
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UPHILL Mark Walter Howchin
40156 Flight Lieutenant Mark Walter Howchin Uphill, Pilot 20 Squadron, Royal Air Force died 2 July 1941 age 26.
Mark was born on 22 April 1915 in the Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago, New Zealand to parents: Reverend William Peter Uphill (Stour Provost Rector 1927-1956) and Edith Uphill (née Howchin).
Theatre of war: - Mark was stationed at the Military Base: Begumpet.
Whilst carrying out a formation practice flight / mock attack at a height of 9,000 feet, the aircraft - a Blenheim No. T8404 - suddenly went into an inverted spin and crashed into Ghizri, Karachi District of India. All three crew members aboard were killed. The aircraft had been borrowed from 60 Squadron.
He died 2 July 1941 and was buried at Karachi War Cemetery, Pakistan. Grave Reference: 5. D. 1. With the Headstone Inscription:
“I thank my God
Upon my remembrance
Of you”
The Karachi War Cemetery contains 642 Commonwealth burials of WW2. The Karachi 1939-45 Memorial forms the entrance to the Karachi cemetery. It commemorates more than 25,000 servicemen of the forces of undivided India who died during the WW2 in non-operational zones.
The large stained-glass window on the south-side, to the left of the main entrance door of St. Michael’s Church, is dedicated to Mark and also his brother - Paul Lailey Uphill (see following entry) - and their mother Edith. The window depicts St. Peter and St. Paul as tall figures in a vigorous Expressionist style with strong colouring glass of 1960, designed by Jasper and Molly Kettlewell.
Mark is also remembered on the brass plaque sited on the north wall of St. Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Stour Provost.
Entry posted 28 July 2024 (WW/DJL)
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UPHILL Paul Lailey
Paul Lailey Uphill, Police Constable, Berkshire Constabulary and member of the Civil Air Guard died 29 March 1939.
Paul was born on 28 June 1910 in Adelaide, Australia at the home of his grandparents, the late Professor and Mrs Walter Howchin of Adelaide University. He was brought up in New Zealand and educated at Christ College Christchurch. He came to England and commenced a University Arts Course with the intention of taking Holy Orders, but subsequently he decided instead to enter the Police Force and became a member of the Berkshire Constabulary in December 1932. He also became a member of Woodley Aero Club.
His parents were the Reverend William Peter Uphill (Stour Provost Rector 1927-1956) and Edith Uphill (née Howchin) of the Vicarage, Butts Lane, Stour Provost. ‘Lailey’ was the maiden name of Paul’s paternal grandmother.
Paul died on 29 March 1939. The following describes the cause of death:
Paul Uphill was a qualified “A” licence pilot and was training for his “B” licence. During a practise session he attempted aerial acrobatics for which he was not qualified to perform. The pilot ran into difficulties controlling the Miles Hawk Major plane and the aircraft went into a steep nosedive over Reading Aerodrome, Woodley, Berkshire, crashing near Coleman’s Moor Road, killing Paul instantly. At the time of his death, Paul had been granted an interview at the Air Ministry in connection with a short commission. There is a high probability he would have gone on to active service during World War II.
According to the Reading Standard’s report on the inquest, an Inspector of the Air Ministry had reported to the coroner that there was no question of anything wrong with the machine. “It seems quite clear that this young man was too venturesome, and unfortunately he attempted to do too much, with the result that he got into the dive and he was not sufficiently experienced to right himself,” he added. The jury returned a verdict of ‘accidental death’.
The Western Gazette reported that on Monday 3 April 1939 a large number of parishioners of Stour Provost and neighbouring parishes attended the funeral of Paul. The service was carried out by the Rural Dean Rev. R. E. G. Newman, vicar of Gillingham. The coffin was borne by W. Burden, W. Kendall, W. Pike and H. Pike.
Paul was buried at St. Michael & All Angels Church, Stour Provost by the main church path where his parents would eventually be laid to rest. Sadly, the headstone inscription is not visible today.
The large stained-glass window on the south-side, to the left of the main exit door of St. Michael’s Church is dedicated to Paul, and to his brother - Mark Walter Howchin Uphill (see previous entry) - and also their mother Edith. The window depicts St. Peter and St. Paul as tall figures in a vigorous Expressionist style with strong colouring glass of 1960, designed by Jasper and Molly Kettlewell.
Although technically not a war casualty, Paul is also remembered on the brass plaque sited on the north wall of St. Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Stour Provost.
Entry posted 28 July 2024 (WW/DJL)
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VESEY Thomas George
212924 Lieutenant Thomas George Vesey, 324 Battery, 14th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, died 21 October 1944, age 23.
Thomas George Vesey was born on 21 December 1921 in the West Ham Registration District, London to parents Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Gore Vesey, formerly Royal Engineers, and Mary Dorothea Vesey. He was educated at Wellington College, Easthampstead, Berkshire.
Formerly of: The Old Rectory, The Street, Stour Provost, Dorset
Theatre of war: The Gothic Line, renamed Green Line in Jun 1944, was the final main German defensive line in northern Italy. The line stretched from the area south of La Spezia on the west coast of Italy through the Apennine.
In the first week of Oct 1944, British 8th Army launched a new offensive, forcing Albert Kesselring, the German theatre commanding officer, to consolidate his defences at Bologna. On 16 Oct, US 5th Army launched yet another new offensive toward Bologna, with US 88th Division capturing Monte Grande four days later and British 78th Division capturing Monte Spaduro on 23 Oct. The US 5th Army attack stalled by the end of Oct. The British 8th Army advance made very slow progress through Nov and Dec 1944, capturing Forlì on 30 Oct, capturing Ravenna on 5 Nov, crossed the Cosina River on 23 Nov, and finally capturing Faenza on 17 Dec. As the German forces established new defensive positions along the Senio River, and the first snow of the winter about to fall, the British 8th Army's attack ground to a halt as well. The Allies suffered 40,000 casualties during the Gothic Line offensive.
Thomas died on 21 October 1944 – aged 22 and was buried at the Cesena War Cemetery, Cesena, Provincia di Forli, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Grave Ref: 2. E. 8.
Most of those buried in this cemetery died during the advance from Rimini to Forli and beyond in September-November 1944, an advance across one flooded river after another in atrocious autumn weather. The cemetery site was selected in November 1944 and burials were brought in from the surrounding battlefields.
Cesena War Cemetery contains 775 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.
Thomas is also remembered on the brass plaque sited on the north wall of St. Michael & All Angels Church, Church Lane, Stour Provost. His mother became a recluse after the death of her only son.
Entry posted 28 July 2024 (WW/DJL) Updated 31 July 2024
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