The WW2 Roll of Honour:
Surnames S - T

Warrant Officer  5768754 George Frederick Sanderson

King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)

Died on 27th May 1940, Aged 33

Commemorated Dunkirk Memorial, France, Column 38.

Gunner  4348269 Harold Shepherd

 

3/2 Maritime Regt. Royal Artillery

Died on 31st October 1941, Aged 24

Commemorated Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 61. Column 3.

 

Electrical Artificer P/MX 53196 Frederick Gordon Shepherd

 

H.M.S. Dunedin, Royal Navy

Died on 24th November 1941, Aged 21.

Commemorated Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Panel 57. Column 1.

 

 

 

Private 11407755  Arthur Simmons

2nd Bn. King's Own Scottish Borderers.

Died on 24th February 1945, Aged 24.

Buried Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar, 21.B 18.

LOUGHBORO' SOLDIER KILLED IN BURMA

News was received by Mrs. Francis Simmons, who served in the A.T.S. that her husband. Pte. Arthur Simmons was killed in action whilst serving with the 14th Army in Burma. Arthur was a stretcher-bearer and was helping a wounded comrade when he and several others were killed. He was buried with his friends who fell with him. He was brought up with his Grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. Simmons of 94, Station Street, Loughborough and prior to joining the forces he was in the employment of Mr. George Read, Builder. Leopold Street, Loughborough. He was educated at Rosebery Street School.

Photo courtesy of Asia War Graves.com

G. H. Slater
 

 

 

Sergeant 961230 Alex Smalley

 

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 11th September 1941, Aged 26.

Buried Loughborough Cemetery, 63/43.                                                                               

 
The news that Sergeant Alec Smalley, of Loughborough, had been killed while serving with the R.A.F was received with deep regret by his many friends.

Before joining the R.A.F, Mr. Smalley was manager of the Loughborough Branch of the Leicester Permanent Building Society and by reason of his cheerful personality and courteous business manner was respected by the many local investors of the Society. He was educated at the Alderman Newton's Leicester, and Loughborough Grammar School, and for a time was secretary of the Old Loughburians Association.

In 1939 he was successful in the final of the Building Societies Institute examinations, and the previous year he had been successful in the final examination of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries. He was elected an Associate Member of the Institute in August 1938, and made a fellow in March 1939.

At one time he was a sidesman at the Parish Church. 

In October 1936, he married Miss Patricia Peggy Paltridge, daughter of Mrs. Paltridge and the late Dr, W, H, Paltridge, of Toothill Road, Loughborough. He was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Smalley of Leicester. Mr. Dennis Smalley, who is secretary of the Loughborough Hospital, is his brother. He joined the R.A.F. in May, 1940, and was on leave about three weeks ago. He was 27 years of age and leaves a wife and child, who live on Toothill Road. Mr. Smalley was an A.F.S, station officer at Loughborough prior to joining the R.A.F. The funeral took place at Loughborough on Tuesday afternoon, the service being taken by the Ven. Archdeacon W.J. Lyon. The first portion of the service was taken at the Parish Church, where a guard of honor comprised colleagues of the R.A.F, and members of the Loughborough A.F.S. The family mourners were: Mrs. Peggy Smalley (widow), Mr. and Mrs. Fred Smalley and Mr. and Mrs. D, Smalley (brothers and sisters in law), R, Q, M, S, E. Smalley (brother), Mr. and Mrs. I. Herbert and Mr. and Mrs. L. Redhead (brothers in law and sisters). Mrs. Paltridge, mother of the widow, was too ill to attend.

 

Private 10587820 Charles Smith

Royal Army Ordnance Corps

Died on 13th June 1944, Aged 39

Buried Bayeux War Cemetery, France, XI. F. 12.

F. Smith
 
News was received on Monday that Lance Corporal, Francis Smith was reported missing and was believed to be a prisoner of war, whilst serving with the Central Mediterranean Force. Lance Corporal, Smith, who is aged 22, is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Smith, of 9, Cambridge Street, Shepshed, and was formerly employed at Tuckers' Brickyard, Loughborough. He has been in the Army two years and two months.
 

Gunner 1579834 James Albert Smith

515 Bty., 222 Searchlight Regt. Royal Artillery

Died on 19th March 1945, Aged 32

Commemorated Edmonton Cemetery, Middlesex, Screen Wall.

Sergeant 1425952 Reginald Smith

 

20 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 13th April 1943, Aged 21

Commemorated Runnymede Memorial

 

News has been received that Sergeant Air Gunner Reginald Smith, son of Sergeant and Mrs., Smith, 64, Oxford Street, Loughborough, has been reported missing from recent operations. Sergeant A. G. Smith left St Mary's School, Loughborough, to be apprenticed to Mr. Charles Tyler, Derby Square, and he left Mr. Tyler to join the R.A.F. He was married recently, and his wife, who was Miss Iris Wykes, of Gregory-street, Loughborough, is in the W.A.A.F. His father is a sergeant in the R.A.F. and an elder brother is serving in the Navy.

 

Private 4857473 Sidney Smith

 

Leicestershire Regiment

Died on 22nd September 1945, Aged 26

Buried Loughborough Cemetery, 398/44.                                                                                                                                          

 

Sorrow reigns at No 40, Pinfold -street, Loughborough, where only seven months ago was a scene of great rejoicing, for ex - Private Sidney Smith, who in February was repatriated after nearly five years as a prisoner of war in Germany, died in Loughborough Hospital on Saturday. When Mr. Smith arrived home from Germany, waiting to greet him was his widowed mother who had been an invalid for many years, shortly afterwards she died. He leaves a wife, formerly Miss, Violet Coles, Claycross, Derbyshire, to whom he was married only six months ago. There are also sisters and brothers. Sid was a true soldier, being in the Territorial Army since1934. He was taken prisoner in April 1940, in Norway, and during the period of his captivity made no less than nine attempts to escape, once succeeding in getting nearly halfway across the Baltic in a motor launch, before having the ill luck to be picked up by a German Cruiser.

 

Private  4856827 William Smith

2/5th Bn. Leicestershire Regiment

Died Between 26/05/1940 and 04/06/1940

Buried Billy-Berclau Communal Cemetery, France, Grave 3.

Sapper 1873978 William Henry Soars

Royal Engineers

Died on 9th November 1943, Aged 28.

Buried Chungkai War Cemetery, Thailand, 6. G. 5.                                                                             

 The relatives of Sapper William Soars, who has been abroad for three years, have received official notice from the War Office that he is missing in Malaya after the capitulation of the Singapore garrison. Sapper Soars who joined the Royal Engineers previous to the outbreak of war, at one time was employed by the, Brush Co, Ltd, as a fitter and he lived with his sister, Miss A, Soars, at 68, Freehold Street, Loughborough. 

Miss A, Soars, 68, Freehold Street, Loughborough, has received official intimation that her brother Sapper W, H, Soars, who has been a prisoner of war since the fall off Singapore, died of beri-beri in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in Thailand on November 9th 1943. Sapper Soars was a regular soldier and was in the Royal Engineers. He was in Malaya when the war broke out and has been in the Army for eight or nine years. He worked at one time at the Brush Company.

 

 

 

Serjeant 2320528  George Somerville


Hong Kong Sig. Coy., Royal Corps of Signals

Died on 8th December 1941, Aged 26.

Buried Stanley Military Cemetery, China, 5. B. Coll. grave 8-19.

Following the fall of Hong Kong at the end of 1941, Sergeant George Somerville (26), the younger son of Mr and Mrs. G. H. Somerville, "High Dales",  Upper Beacon Road, Loughborough, was reported missing. His parents have now been officially informed that he was killed in action between the 8th and the 25th of December 1941. At the age of 15 he went to the Army School and had been a regular soldier ever since obtaining the rank of Sergeant in the Royal Corp of Signals. He went abroad in October of 1934, being posted to the garrison of the then British controlled island of Hong Kong. His army duties took him to many places in the Far East and he had been to many cities and towns in China. He was a wireless operator. Mr. and Mrs. Somerville have another son serving abroad. He is Pilot Officer Frank Somerville and he has seen service with the RAF in the Middle East.

Photo courtesy of Asia War Graves.com

Private 6027229 John Elias Sparkes

5th Bn. Essex Regiment

Died on 31st October 1943, Aged 23

Buried Sangro River War Cemetery, Italy, V. D. 41.

Corporal 1003785 Maurice Spence

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 24th March 1942, Aged 23

Commemorated Singapore Memorial, Column 416.

Corporal Maurice Spence of the R, A, F, only son of Mr. and Mrs. B. Spence, 91, Knightthorpe Road Loughborough, has been reported as missing and presumed killed in Burma.  He was 23, years of age and joined H.M, Forces in 1940.

He was educated at the Loughborough Grammar School and at the time of enlistment was due for his final examination as a charted accountant secretary. He was at one time employed at the Danish Bacon Co Ltd.

 

Photo courtesy of Asia War Graves.com

Serjeant 4849161 Leonard Spencer


Corps of Military Police

Died on 9th June 1941, Aged 38.

Buried Barrow-Upon-Soar Cemetery Sec. C. Grave 1101.



Private 4863458 Thomas Spicer

2/5th Bn., Leicestershire Regiment

Died on 3rd December 1943, Aged 24.

Buried Minturno War Cemetery IV, G, 9.


Private Thomas Spicer (24), son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Spicer, 51a, Ashby road, Loughborough, was reported wounded and missing in Italy since December 3rd. It was Spicer's 24th birthday on Tuesday, December 28th. He used to work for Palfreyman Bros, slaters, etc, Havelock Street, and he attended Rosebery-street and Limehurst Schools. He was an enthusiastic boxer for his regiment during the three and a half years he has been with them. His brother, David Spicer, served with the Cameronians.

Thomas was later reported as killed in action, December 3rd.

Sergeant 1487715 Wilfred Roland Spiers

78 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 22nd September 1943.

Buried Hanover War Cemetery, 4. B. 5.


Sergt. Air Gunner Wilfred Roland Spiers (21), of the R.A.F, has this week been presumed by the Air Ministry as killed after being missing since last September. His wife who lives at 37, Woodbrook Road, Loughborough, received this news on Monday of this week. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. Spiers, live at 2, Queens-road, Loughborough, and his father is a schoolteacher at the Trent Bridge School, Nottingham. Sergeant A/G Spiers joined the R.A.F. two years ago last August and before that he was working at Messrs. Herbert Morris. Ltd, as a fitter. He was a member of the Home Guard and was a keen participant in all sports, and since joining the R.A.F. had played for his Squadron football team and had won a medal while playing with this team. He was educated at Limehurst School. Only eleven months before he was reported missing he was married at the Emmanuel Church, Loughborough.

Gunner 986649 William Squire

159 Field Regt. Royal Artillery 

Died on 15th November 1943, Aged 30. 

Buried Basra War Cemetery, Iraq, 7. V. 6.                                                                      

Mrs. Squires, 2, South Street, Loughborough, received official intimation that her husband, Gunner William Squires, of the Royal Artillery, has died of Malaria whilst serving in the Middle East.  He was only 30 years of age. Gunner Squires had been abroad for about three years.  He worked at Messrs, Tuckers, Beacon Road, Loughborough, before the war.  He leaves a little girl, Maureen, whom he saw last when she was two months old. His mother, Mrs. Hurt, lives at Cambridge Street, Shepshed.  His father was killed in the last war.  He had many friends in Loughborough.

 

Signalman 14390564 Anthony Martin Stanton


51st (Highland) Div. Sigs., Royal Corps of Signals

Died on 16th December 1944, Aged 20.

Commemorated Groesbeek Memorial, Panel 2.

Signalman A. M. (Tony) Stanton, of the Royal Corps of Signals was the second son of Mr. Charles Harry & Constance Stanton, of the "King's Arms." Hathern, and he joined the Forces in 1943. He went to Normandy on 16th June and served with the Landing Brigade Airborne Troops, and was eventually attached to the 51st Highland Division. Prior to enlisting he was an apprenticed joiner with Messrs. H. Hammond and Sons, builders, of Loughborough.

Driver T/152077 Owen Moore Stevenson


Royal Army Service Corps

Died on 6th June 1942, Aged 31.

Buried Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya, 3. C. 19.



Gunner 1560047 William Richard Sutton

194 Bty., 65 Lt. A.A. Regt., Royal Artillery.

Died on 19th January 1942, Aged 25.

Commemorated Alamein Memorial, Egypt, Column 38.

William Richard Sutton, known to his family and friends as ‘Bill’, was born in Loughborough on 28th February 1916. He was the son of Samuel Noah Sutton and his wife Elizabeth Emma Beesley (née Burton) who were married at All Saints Church, Loughborough, on 6th August 1906. Bill had three sisters Edith, Nellie and Dorothy. He also had twin brothers Richard and William who had died soon after birth in 1907.

Bill worked for a hosiery firm in Nottingham before being called up in 1940, and learned his trade at Messrs. Towles Ltd, Loughborough. In 1939 Bill lived with his parents at 38 King Edward Road, Loughborough. His father died in 1940. .

As Gunner 1560047 Bill joined 194 Battery, 65 Light Anti-Aircraft Unit, of the Royal Artillery and served in Egypt for several months. He was ‘presumed killed in action at sea’ in January 1942, aged 25. His mother last heard from him on 29th December 1941. .

Bill is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt, Column 38.


Pilot Officer 161315 John Alexander Swift

 

227 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 5th November 1943, Aged 22.

Commemorated Alamein Memorial, Egypt, Column 269.                      &nnbsp;                                                  

 

Much sympathy is felt in Hathern with Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Swift, who have just been informed that their son, Sergeant Pilot J. A. Swift, is missing from operations. Sergeant Swift was educated at the Loughborough Grammar School and two years ago joined the R.A.F. V.R, receiving his flying training in Canada. Previous to joining the Forces he was a member of the Hathern Platoon of the Home Guard, where his father holds the rank of a Lieutenant.  His mother is the head of the Hathern section of the W, V, S.

 

Sergeant 1868950 Archibald William Taylor

619 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 10th August 1944, Aged 23.

Buried Thure Communal Cemetery, France, Mil. Plot. Row 1. Coll. grave 3-8.

Private 5735705 Lorwerth Leuan Thomas

5th Bn. Dorsetshire Regiment

Died on 18th February 1945, Aged 21.

Buried Uden War Cemetery, Holland, 6. D. 2.

Flight Lieutenant  Reginald Herbert Patrick Thomas

 

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 18th October 1943, Aged 29.

Commemorated Leicester City Crematorium Panel 6.

 

Flight Lieutenant. R. H. P. Thomas, of Penarth, a former Loughborough College student, was killed on active service. Flight Lieutenant, Thomas, who in June last year married Miss Ann Hardy, daughter of Mr. E. Hardy, 11 Radmoor Road, Loughborough, was a student at Loughborough College, and later at King William College, Isle of Man. Whilst there he was for five years tutor in engineering and physical training.The deceased's father in law, Mr. Hardy, is a director of the Loughborough hosiery firm of Messrs Towles (1923) Ltd.

 

Gunner 1549517 Geoffrey Peirce Thompson

43 Bty., 101 Lt. A.A./Anti-Tank Regt., Royal Artillery

Died on 7th June 1940, Aged 27.

Commemorated Dunkirk Memorial, France, Column 15.




Harry Thompson
                                                                                                                                                                                    

Mrs. E. Thompson, 16, Knight-thorpe, Rd, Loughborough, has received official notification from the War Office that her youngest son, Sapper Harry Thompson is missing in North West Europe. Sapper Thompson is 21 years old and has been in the army for three years.  He served in Africa and Italy and received the Africa Star. He enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment, was transferred to the R E's and later volunteered as a paratrooper in the first Airborne Division. Before joining the army he was employed at the Brush Co. His eldest brother, Sergeant Sidney Thompson, R.A.F, is also in France and Corporal George Thompson, another brother is a prisoner of war in Japanese hands.

 

Private 7634952 Albert Thornett


Royal Army Ordnance Corps

Died on 30th October 1943, Aged 37.

Buried Mountsorrel Cemetery, Grave 241.



Leading Aircraftman 1138844  Edwin Thornewell

 

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Died on 20th August 1945, Age 38

 Buried Loughborough Cemetery, 395/38.

 

Gunner 1604760  Alfred Thorneycroft

 

8 A.A. Reserve Regt., Royal Artillery

Died on 4th May 1942, Aged 31.

Buried Loughborough Cemetery, 346/8.

 

Private 97003811 Lacey Anthony Tingle

 

224 Parachute Field Amb., Royal Army Medical Corps

Died on 6th June 1944, Aged 29.

Commemorated Bayeux Memorial, France, Panel 18, Column 3.

 

Private 4863980 Roland Ernest Tivey

2nd Bn., Leicestershire Regiment

Died on 29th November 1941.

Buried Tobruk War Cemetery, Libya, 7. H. 2.


Official intimation has been received that Private Ronald E. Tivey, whose wife resides at 72, Wellington Street, Loughborough, has been killed in action. Private Tivey joined the Army in July 1940, and at one time worked at Messrs, Matlands, of Loughborough. He is a native of Shepshed.

Lieutenant 176070  Eric Reginald Todd

 

Leicestershire Regiment

Died on 25th December 1942, Aged 26.

Buried Nakuru North Cemetery, Kenya,Grave 257.

 

Mr. and Mrs. F. Todd, of 7, Rectory Road, Loughborough, received news from the War Office that their younger son, Lieutenant E.R. Todd, died in Madagascar on Christmas Day. 

The engagement was recently announced of Lieutenant Todd, to Miss Janet Mary Swan, of Durban South Africa.

 

Corporal PLY/X 778 Laurence Frederick Towell

 

H.M.S. Barham., Royal Marines

Died on 25th November 1941. Aged 27.

Commemorated Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 59,                                                                             

Loughborough Marine "Presumed Killed 

News has been received that Corporal Laurence F.Towell, Royal Marines, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. L. Towell, of 119, Derby Road, Loughborough, is reported missing presumed killed. He was 27 years of age and served 10 years in the Royal Marines.

 

 

Private 4858912  Kenneth Glendor Llewellyn Tudor

 

2/5th Bn., Leicestershire Regiment

Died on 10th May 1940, Aged 21.

Buried Carvin Communal Cemetery, France, Plot 2. Row F. Grave 9.

 

Leading Telegraphist   George William Tuson MiD

 

H.M. Submarine Spearfish, Royal Navy

Died on 2nd August 1940, Aged 24.

Commemorated Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 39, Column 3.