Winsham at War

Second World War
1939-1945

Four men of Winsham gave their lives during this conflict.

Douglas Brown .Royal Air Force.
Sergeant Air Gunner
Died  aged 22 on a Lancaster bombing raid in Italy on August 8th. 1943.  Buried in Milan War Cemetery.    He is well remembered by Roy Frecknell (RASC ambulance driver) of Church  Street as he was Best Man at Roy’s wedding.  The last time Roy saw him was when they said goodbye to each other on a London bound train, returning from leave.

Ronald Davies. Lt. Royal Navy, H.M.S. Wryneck. - Son of Sir George and Lady Davies of Leigh House, Winsham.Died April 27th. 1941.  On that day, H.M.S.Wryneck was attacked by German aircraft during the evacuation of troops from Greece and sunk off Nauplia.   She had earlier, with H.M.SD. Diamond, rescued 700 crew and troops from the 11,600 ton Dutch liner Slamat which had come under British control after the fall of Holland to the Germans and which had been attacked previously.   Both H.M.S. Diamond and H.M.S. Wryneck were lost along with nearly all of their crews and the survivors from the Slamat . 

Graham Loveridge. Craftsman 14650021 R.E.M.E.  Son of Ernest Albert and Alice Loveridge.   The only soldier buried in Winsham Cemetery.  He died on August 2nd. 1944.

William March. - Private 14433597 1st. Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment. Son of Frederick and Dorothy March of Fore Street ,  Winsham.    William was an expert marksman like his brother Ted who has won many trophies and who lives in the same family house today.   William died on Thursday 8th June 1944, two days after the Normandy landings and is buried in Bayeux War Cemetery.

  


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