Photograph Copyright © Chris Basey 2008

BROWNE

James

11122 Private Browne of 13th Battalion Royal Fusiliers died on Tuesday 14th November 1916 aged 34 years and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. He was the son of Mr and Mrs William Browne and husband of Ethel Knights (formerly Browne) of 161 South Walsham Road, Hemblington, Norwich. He had been employed as a gamekeeper before enlisting.

CLARE

James

58333 Lance Corporal Clarke of 195th Coy Machine Gun Corps (Inf) died on Tuesday 7th August 1917 aged 20 years and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres, Belgium. He was the son of Robert and Mary Clare of Ranworth, Norwich.

EVANS

William Arthur

6702 Sergeant Evans of 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry died on 5th November 1916 and is buried at the Warlencourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France

BARBER

Benjamin David

2659044 Guardsman Barber of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards died on Thursday 30 May 1940 and is buried at the Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, Veurne, West-Vlaaanderen, Belgium. He was the son of Arthur George and Mary Lilian Barber of Hemblington.

HYLTON

Ronald

T/204610 Driver Hylton of 15 Tank Transporter Coy, Royal Army Service Corps died on Saturday 12th June 1943, aged 27 years. He is buried at the Benghazi War Cemetery in Libya. He was the son of Mr and Mrs L. Hylton and husband of Lilian Bessie Hyton of Luton, Bedfordshire.

HYLTON

Cyril Walter

T/14690595 Driver Hylton of 838 Gen. Transport Coy, Royal Army Service Corps died on Friday 4th May 1945 aged 24 years and is buried at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery, Overijssel, Netherlands. He was the son of Mr and Mrs L. Hylton of Hemblington.

WESTON, DFC

George Ernest

Squadron Leader (41885) Weston was a pilot with 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force. He died on Thursday 1st October 1942 aged 23 years and is buried at Hemblington (All Saints) Churchyard. London Gazette 14th March 1941 re Flying Officer G.E. Weston No 50 Squadron: “One night in February 1941 Flying Officer Weston was detailed to attack an enemy vessel lying in the dock at Brest. Owing to extreme darkness and exceptional searchlight and anti-aircraft opposition, great difficulty was encountered in locating the target. Although his starboard engine failed, Flying Officer Weston persisted in his search and, in the face of an increasingly heavy and accurate barrage, eventually located his target and pressed home his attack with a full load of bombs. On his return whilst over the English Channel his engine picked up but failed again. By skilful handling of his aircraft, however, he succeeded in reaching his base where he landed safely. He displayed outstanding gallantry, skill and determination throughout.” Having completed over forty operations he met his death as the pilot of a Lancaster Bomber which crashed whilst taking off for a mission over Germany. All members of the crew lost their lives. George Weston was born in Peterborough and, at an early age, accompanied his parents to New Zealand where he grew up. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1938 and served in the United Kingdom which enabled him to make frequent visits to relatives at Hemblington. His parents were George (formerly of Hemblington) and Frances Weston of Nelson City, New Zealand.

WESTON

Godfrey Randal

426183 Flight Sergeant Weston was an Air Bomber with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He died on Thursday 20th April 1944 aged 22 years and is buried at Hemblington (All Saints) Churchyard with his brother. He was born in Dunedin, New Zealand and enlisted in the R.N.Z.A.F. in 1942. After training in Canada he served at UK locations on Wellington Bombers before converting to Stirlings. He was one of five members of the crew of a Stirling who died when the aircraft crashed on landing at Stradishall airfield in Suffolk.