Roll of Honour - Lancashire - Manchester University

The Royal British Legion

Lieutenant 337573, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Died on service in India 31st January 1946. Aged 22. Born Cheshire, resident Manchester. Son of Alexander Morrison Mackay and Dora Mackay; husband of Kathleen (nee Homer) Mackay, married 1945 in Homer Registration District, Manchester. B.Sc. (Hons.). Buried 1st February 1946 in MADRAS WAR CEMETERY, POONAMALLEE, CHENNAI, India. Plot 7. Row E. Grave 11.

Sergeant (Navigator) 1395005, 70 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 27th January 1944. Aged 20. Born 23rd August 1923. Birth registered 1923 in Devomport Registration District, Devon. Son of Norah Maher, of Stoke, Devon. In the 1939 Register he was at school, son of Norah Maher, resident 16 Acre Place, Plymouth C.B., Devon. Buried in BARI WAR CEMETERY, Italy. Plot XV. Row B. Grave 25.

Pilot Officer 104575, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 9th January 1942. Aged 30. Born 9th April 1911. Son of John and Nellie Marchington; husband of Margaret Helena (nee Gilton) Marchington, of Kerridge, Cheshire, married 1940 in the Macclesfield registration District, Cheshire. LL.B. (Manchester). In the 1939 Register he was a Barrister at Law, single, resident Dormes House, Oak Drive, Manchester C.B., Lancashire. No known grave. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 70.

MARPLES, DFC & Bar

Wing Commander (Pilot) 70868, 329 (French) Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 26th April 1944 in the Chanctobury District, Sussex. Aged 24. Birth registered in 1920 in the Barnet Resistration District, Middlesex. Son of Percy Salisbury Marples and Elizabeth Marie Louise Marples; husband of Kathleen Gladys Victoria (nee Brookes) Marples, of Cambridge, married 1941 in Cambridge. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) and Bar; DFC awarded while an Acting Flight Lieutenant with 41 Squadron (The Scotsman - Thursday 16th October 1941). He wo his wings at 18 and took part in the Battle of Dunkirk. Buried in CHICHESTER CEMETERY, Sussex. Square 159. C. of E. Plot. Grave 10.

Extract from Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer - Thursday 16th October 1941, page 3:

LED ATTACKS ON TRIPOLI
AIRMAN WINS BAR TO D.F.C.

Acting Wing Commander Richard John Wells, No. 108 Squadron, has been awarded bar to his D.F.C. for displaying outstanding leadership, courage and determination in attacks on Tripoli. Six ships were sunk and hits were obtained on many others. Widespread damage was caused at various other places.

At Messina, in particular, the whole railway sidings. Including many trucks, were destroyed, while the power house and large adjoining area were burnt out.

The D.F.C. has been awarded to Acting Fltght-Lleutenant Roy Marples. No. 41 Squadron, who, the official announcement states, has shown great courage and leadership as a flight commander. He has carried out 52 operational sorties over enemy territory and has destroyed two, probably destroyed three, and damaged a further two enemy aircraft. His keenness and personal example have been outstanding.

Acting Flight-Lieutenant was born in 1920 at Muswell Hill, and his father lives at Bramhall. Cheshire. He was commissioned in 1938 and was promoted Acting Flight-Lieutenant in August. 1941. During 1939 he served with No. 610 (Chester) and No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force.

Extract from Manchester Evening News - Friday 10th July 1942, page 3:

Bramhall D.F.C. Gets a Messerschmitt
VICTORY FOR TWO IN THE DESERT
From HENRY GORRELL
(With the R.A.F. in Egypt)
Friday.

FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT ROY MARPLES, D.F.C.. of Bramhall Park Road, Bramhall, is in the thick of the desert fighting, and I heard to-day how he helped to bag a Messerschmitt.

Marples flies in a fighter squadron made up of Britons, Rhodesians, South Africans, Australians, New Zealanders. Canadians, and Americans.

He spotted a Messerschmitt and let it have a good long burst. Then an Ayr man, Pilot Officer James Hogan Currie, closed in and popped him off. It was the first time Currie had ever seen an enemy plane — B.U.P.

Extract from Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - Tuesday 5th January 1943, page 5:

BAR TO CROSS

A bar to Distinguished Plying Cross is awarded to Squadron- Leader Roy Marples, No. 238 Squadron. In November last he participated in intensive attacks on the enemy’s transports and supply lines, and during this period his squadron destroyed 50 and disabled 90 more transports and three aircraft. He lives at Bramhall, Cheshire.

Extract from Liverpool Daily Post - Friday 15th January 1943, page 3:

CHESHIRE AIRMAN'S ESCAPE
BALED OUT OVER THE SEA

Cairo. Thursday. — Squadron-Leader Roy Marples, D.F.C. and bar, who lives at Bramhall, Cheshire, had a lucky escape after destroying a Macchi 200, his seventh victory, it is learned in Cairo.

He was the leader of an Allied fighter formation which shot down five enemy aircraft over the Tripolitanian coast on January 11—six days after he had been awarded a bar to his D.F.C. The formation chased the enemy planes out to sea, each Allied pilot picking an opponent.

Squadron-Leader Marples set an Italian plane on fire, but then smoke began to pour out of his own fighter, and he was forced to bale out over the water a mile away from land. He began to swim towards the coast, and was met by two men who swam out to assist him towards the shore. He is suffering from cuts on the head and nose and bruised legs, but his injuries are not serious. — British United Press.

Extract from Manchester Evening News - Friday 26 April 1946, page 7:

MARPLES.—In proud and loving memory of our dear son, Wing-Commander ROY MARPLES, D.F.C. (Royal Air Force), killed April 26, 1944.

Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) 45053, 464 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 22nd June 1944. Aged 27. Son of Tom and Amy Martin, of Bromley Cross, Lancashire. B.Sc. Elot. Buried in CREIL COMMUNAL CEMETERY, Oise, France. Plot/Row/Section/Area 1. Joint grave 384.

Gunner 973957, 158 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. Died in Abbotytabad, India, of jaundice 23rd September 1941. Aged 28. Born 8th July 1913. Northenden, Cheshire, resident Didsbury, Manchester. Son of Ernest E. Mason, and of Elizabeth A. G. Mason, of Didsbury, Manchester. LL.B.(Manchester). In the 1939 Register he was a Solicitor, unmarried, resident ''Fod Lodge,'' Ford Lane, Manchester C.B., Lancashire. Buried 24 September 1941 in KARACHI WAR CEMETERY, (Abbottabad, Bengal) Pakistan. Plot 4. Row D. Grave 9.

Captain 69346, Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. Killed in action in France 27th May 1940. Aged 26. Born 1914, and resident, Manchester. Son of Peter and Catherine McCall, of Newton Heath, Manchester. B.A. Buried in EECKE CHURCHYARD, Nord, France. Grave 1.

Extract from Manchester Evening News 5 July 1941, page 7:

McCALL.—Previously reported missing, now reported killed in action May 27, 1940, and buried at Eecke, near Cassel. Captain PETER NORBERT McCALL, Royal Tank Regiment, aged 26, dearly-loved only son of the late Peter McCall and Catherine McCAll and brother of Eileen.

5, Fenchurch Ave., Newton Heath.

Second Lieutenant 121365, Lancashire Fusiliers attached Royal Air Force. Died in United Kingdom 24th July 1941. Aged 24. Born 19th March 1917 in Oldham, resident Oldham. Son of Myles and Isabelle McColl, of Oldham, Lancashire; husband of Edith McColl. B.A. Hons. (Manchester). In the 1939 Register he was a University Student Manchester, single, son of Myles and Isabelle McColl, resident 343, Abbey Hills Road, Oldham C.B., Lancashire. Buried 29th July 1941 in North part of HAWARDEN (ST. DEINIOL) CHURCHYARD, Flintshire, Wales.

Schoolmaster Warrant Officer (Wireless Operator), H.M.S. Neptune, Royal Navy. Died 19th December 1941. B.Sc. Petty Officer, B.Sc., 28th August 1938 (Schoolmaster). No known grave. Commemorated on PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Devon. Panel 45, Column 2.

Pilot Officer (Bomb Aimer) 130505, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 14th December 1942. Aged 18. Born 26th January 1924. Son of Edgar and Ruby Letitia Miler, of Crookes, Sheffield. In the 1939 Register he was at school, son of Edgar and Ruby Letitia Miller, resident 2 Coombe Road, Sheffield C.B., Yorkshire. Buried in SHEFFIELD (CROOKES) CEMETERY, Yorkshire. Section H.H. Grave 4100.

Captain 158851, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) attached Manchester Regiment. Died of wounds in Italy 7th September 1944. Aged 25. Born 13th June 1919, and resident, Stockport. Son of Ralph and Helen Mottershead; husband of Joan (nee mellor) Mottershead, of Offerton, Cheshire, married 1943 in Stockport Registration District, Cheshire. LL.B. Wounded 29th January 1944 in Italy. In the 1939 Register he was a Law Student, son of Ralph ottershead, resident 13 Marple Road, Stockport C.B., Cheshire. Buried in MONTECCHIO WAR CEMETERY, Italy. Plot II. Row G. Grave 13.

Trooper 7914223, 10th Royal Hussars, Royal Armoured Corps. Killed in action in the Western Desert, Middle East, 3rd November 1942. Aged 24. Born 11th January 1918, and resident, Stockport. Son of David and Ethel Murphy, of Offerton, Cheshire. B.A. (Manchester). In the 1939 Register he was a University Student, son of David and Ethel Murphy, resident 6 Hazel Drive, Stockport C.B., Cheshire. Buried in EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY, Egypt. Plot XXV. Plot A. Grave 29.

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY WAR MEMORIAL