War Memorial

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In Memorial to those of St. Martin’s Church, Sherwood who sacrificed their lives in service of their country during World War II

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2703595/archibald-roland-severn/

Sergeant Leslie Mitchell: 9 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (1919 – 1941) Son of Leslie B Mitchell and Margaret Mitchell of Woodthorpe Nottingham.

Sergeant Mitchell and his crew took off at 22.45 hours from RAF Honington for an operation to bomb the docks and shipping Boulogne. All bombs were seen to burst between docks 4 and 6. Fires started and small explosions were seen. On returning to base the pilot attempted to land with the undercarriage retracted. The air craft crashed into the main ammunition dump and burst into flames.

Leslie Mitchell is buried in Redhill Cemetery Class A Uncons Grave 2164 and his name is on the memorial plaque, St. Martin’s Church, Sherwood.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/37692

Aircraft woman 2nd Class Constance Ethel Carter, Women's Auxiliary Air Force, aged 20 years (1922 – 1942) Daughter of Henry Walter Lawrence and Laura Carter of Sherwood Nottingham. Buried in St Mary’s Church, Cardington, Bedfordshire Cemetery Row R Grave 18. Remenered St. Martin’s Church, Sherwood.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details?id=39130

Second Radio Officer Maurice George Cooper, SS Cortes (London) Merchant Navy (1912 – 1941)

Maurice George Cooper was the son of Samuel and Annie Cooper and the brother of Albert and Sam Cooper of 51, Edale Road, Sneinton, Nottingham. Husband of Mary Joan Cooper of Stroud Gloucestershire, married in Nottingham in 1937. Remembered at the Mercantile Marine Memorial, Tower Hill, London and St. Martin’s Church, Sherwood.

SS Cortes was a British Cargo Steamer of 1,374 tons built in 1919. At 02.32 hours on the 26th September 1941 when on route from Lisbon for Liverpool in Convoy HG-73 carrying a cargo of potash, cork and a general cargo she was torpedoed by German submarine U-124 and sunk north of the Azores. Except 3, all hands-on board Cortes, the master Donald Ray McRae, 30 crew members, including Second Radio Officer Maurice Cooper from Nottingham, 6 gunners and 6 passengers were lost. Some of the survivors of the Cortes were rescued by the Lapwing, only to lose their lives when Lapwing (also part of Convoy HG-73) was torpedoed later on the same day. The lifeboat of Lapwing made landfall in Ireland two weeks later, but two Arab firemen from Cortes had died of exhaustion in the boat and the last survivor, bosun Alfonso Pimentil, died later in a hospital in Clifden. (wrecksite.eu)

Sergeant Archibald Roland Severn: 139 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Date of Death: 1st of March, 1941, Commemorated at Nottingham Crematorium, Wilford Hill, Panel Five, Runnymede Memorial and St. Martin’s Church, Sherwood.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/38859

Douglas Owen Rickard, 203 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (1920 – 1941)., Blenheim IV V6014. Flight Lieutenant W. R. Hole, Pilot Officer, T. G. Leitch (RAAF), Sergeant D. O. Rickard: missing believed killed; aircraft failed to return from an operational patrol over the sea, presumed enemy action.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/39067

Ordinary Seaman Denis Appleby, HMS Curacoa Royal Navy (1923 – 1942) Son of Harold James and Florence Edith Appleby, of Woodthorpe, Nottingham died at sea when the transport ship (converted passenger liner) RMS Queen Mary, while zigzagging to evade submarines, accidentally collided with and sank her escort ship, the HMS Curacoa. The smaller cruiser was sliced in half, and 340 crew members were killed.

Denis Appleby’s name is engraved in memorial in Chatham Naval Memorial, Nottingham Henry Mellish School, Old Boys and Staff, Nottingham, the War Memorial, Woodborough Road, Mapperley and St Martin's Church Sherwood Nottingham.

HMS Curacoa

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/43307

Sergeant Anthony Keeton, 199 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (1923 – 1942). Son of Harry Edward and Mabel Esther Keeton, of Mapperley, Nottingham. Buried in Guidel Communal Cemetery France, Row 3. Grave 17. Remembered in St. Martin’s Church, Sherwood.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/37690

Second Lieutenant Richard Dalton Goldston, 426 Battery 126 HAA Regt Royal Artillery (1921 – 1943). Son of Henry Percy and Doris Goldston of Sherwood Nottingham; husband of Miriam E Goldston of Nottingham. Remembered in St. Martin’s Church, Sherwood and Redhill Cemetery.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/37689

Flying Officer Peter John Abbott (1921 – 1944) Family history: Peter John Abbott was the son of John George S, a senior tax inspector and Gertrude M (née Wasley) Abbott. They lived at 82, Burlington Road, Sherwood, Nottingham. He was the brother of Michael P Abbott. Peter was engaged to marry Betty Jean Hannah of 45, Burlington Road.

Peter Abbott received most of his training in the USA, gaining his wings and commission in August 1942. He remained in America as an instructor until June 1943 when he returned to the UK for operational flying.

Peter Abbott and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from Heavy Conversion Unit 11 Base on the 2nd June 1944.

During the war 103 Squadron flew over 6,000 operational sorties, at a high cost in men and machines. On 14 February 1943, the squadron was sent to bomb Milan in Northern Italy but the bomber leading the formation was hit by incendiary bombs dropped from another Lancaster over the target and crashed in the southern outskirts of the city. Some parts of the bomber were discovered in 1990 during the extension of the Milan Metro. After the war, on 26 November 1945, the Squadron was disbanded by renumbering it to 57 Squadron.

Peter Abbott was killed during the operation over Revigny. The six airmen in Peter Abbott's ND 993 Lancaster crew were also lost and buried with him in the same collective grave. They were RAFVR airmen Sergeant Victor Nevile Clayton, Pilot Officer Alfred George Gleeson, Sergeant Peter Robert Kewn, Sergeant Stephen Francis Labern, Sergeant Gordon Miller and Royal Canadian Airforce Flying Officer Alexander John Morrison.

Nottm Evening Post 10.07.1948.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/37685

Reverend Harry Smith (1907 – 1944)

Rank: Chaplain 4th Class, Service Number: 95864, Regiment: Royal Army Chaplains' Department, Died: 15th August 1944 Age: 37 years old.

Harry was the younger son of Leonard and Cicely Smith, of 'The Sheiling', Chain Lane, Littleover, Derby. He was educated at Derby Central School before going on to study theology at King's College, London.

Harry was ordained as a Deacon in 1934. His first appointment was as a Curate in Ilkeston.

A year later in 1935, he was ordained a Priest. In 1936 he went to Newbold Church, Chesterfield. Before the war he was assisting the Reverend E. Lyons, Vicar of St. Martin's Church in Sherwood, Nottinghamshire.

Harry joined the Forces in 1939 as a Chaplain 4th Class and in September 1939 he went to France. In June 1940 he was evacuated from Dunkirk after serving with a Field Ambulance Unit. He went on to serve in the Middle East as well as Italy and Sicily.

Immediately after D-Day in June 1944 Harry landed in Normandy. On the 15th August he was tending to some wounded men when he inadvertently stepped on a German mine and was badly injured. He was taken to a field dressing station where he was given a blood transfusion but it was to no avail and he died.

The senior Chaplain of the Division wrote:

"We all felt pretty miserable about his death and still do. He was loved by all the men and respected and admired by all the officers. I feel I have lost not only my best Padre but a pal".

Harry was buried in Brouay War Cemetery. He is commemorated on the War Memorial in Littleover and at King's College London.

Harry was also commemorated at the Derby Central School on a war memorial. This memorial was in the form of a wooden lectern. The names of the fallen were inscribed on the decorative front face. It was last housed in Henry Cavendish School, Breadsall Hilltop, Derby. The school was demolished in 2007 and sadly the whereabouts of the memorial are now unknown.

In World War Two, Harry's older brother served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56396422/harry-smith

Sergeant John Richard Mason 34 EFTS Canada Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (1922 - 1942) Son of Mr. and Mrs. John William Mason, of Sherwood, Nottingham, England. Mason was killed in Canada aboard Cornel 1FJ654 along with Leading Aircraftsman John Hugh Evans. Remembered in St. Martin’s Church Sherwood, Assiniboia (Mount Hope) Cemetery, Canada, Notts Amateur Cricket Club - World War Two Memorial and Nottingham High School - World War Two Memorial.

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/Person/Details/43585

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