Remembering Eston veterans who died in combat

The history book ‘Grass to Grain’ lists veterans from the area who gave their lives fighting for our freedoms. This is the list from the beginning of WWII and beyond.

The Eston veteran’s cemetery.

Gunner Walter John Abbott, Royal Canadian Artillery, died June 11, 1944, at age 24, from injuries due to an accident near Brighton, East Sussex, England. He is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, some 30 miles from London, England.

Flight Sergeant/Air Gunner John Herbert Barkwell, RCAF, died at age 19 on November 11, 1943, when his Halifax Bomber was lost during an air strike against Cannes, France. He is buried in the St. Desir War Cemetery, Calvados, France.

Private Charles Raymond Botham, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), was killed in action at age 21 on May 23, 1944, in the assault on the Hitler Line in Italy. He is buried in the Casino Military Cemetery in Casino, Italy.

Able Seaman Robert John Botham, Royal Canadian Navy, died September 20, 1943, at age 22 when his ship, HMCS St. Crowd, was hit by two torpedoes and sank while on convoy duty in the North Atlantic. Having no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Halifax Memorial.

Ordinary Seaman Gordon Keith Campbell, Royal Canadian Navy, died at age 18 on September 13, 1942, when his ship, HMCS Ottawa, was sunk by two torpedoes fired by U-91 450 miles east of Newfoundland. Having no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Halifax Memorial.

Private Harry Reginald Code, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, age 19, was killed February 20, 1945, in the heavy fighting with German forces in the Hochwald Forest some 50 miles southeast of Nijmegen, Holland. He is buried at Groesbeck Canadian War Cemetery, seven miles from Nijmegen.

Warrant Officer Class 2 Arthur Leland Croll, RCAF, age 32, died December 12, 1942, on air operations over Tripoli. He has no known grave; his name is inscribed on the Alamein War Memorial, Egypt.

Pilot Officer John Wesley Evans, RCAF, age 22, EDO, May 24, 1943 when his Sterling Bomber aircraft failed to return from air operations. Having no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Runnymede War Memorial in England.

Leading Aircraftsman Frederick William Greenfield, RCAF, age 21, died August 14, 1941, in a crash while training with #3 Service Flying Training School, Calgary, Alberta. He is buried in the Madison Cemetery, Madison, Saskatchewan.

Pilot Officer Kenneth Bradley Hicks, RCAF, died March 8, 1944, at age 26, when the “Mosquito” aircraft he was flying failed to return from a bomber support operation to Stade and Utersen, Germany. Having no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Runnymede War Memorial in England.

Private Elmer James Lee, Royal Canadian Regiment, died August 27, 1940, at age 21 in a German bombing raid. He is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery near London, England.

Able Seaman William James McAlister, age 20, Royal Canadian Navy, died when his ship, HMCS Margaret, was sunk by collision in heavy fog 400 miles west of Ireland on October 22, 1940. Having no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Halifax Memorial.

Pilot Officer Gordon Cameron McDonald, RCAF, died August 24, 1942, at age 21 when his battle-damaged Lancaster Heavy Bomber crashed four miles north of Charleroi, Belgium. He is buried in the Communal Cemetery, Gosselies Hainault, Belgium.

Private Ivan George McDonald, South Saskatchewan Regiment, died of his wounds at age 22 on September 21, 1944, in what has been called the Battle of the Scheldt Estuary west of Antwerp, Belgium. Ivan was buried in Adegem War Cemetery near Ghent, Belgium.

Private Donald Douglas McKeracher, Argyll and Sutherland Highlands of Canada, age 22, was killed on January 30, 1945, near S’Hertogenbosh, Belgium. He is buried in the Groesbeck Canadian War Cemetery near Nijmegen, Holland.

Flying Officer Glen Alexander McNichol, RCAF, age 21, died April 17, 1943, when his Lancaster suffered severe damage from the flak guns near Pilsen. Wounded in both legs and flying with only two engines, he managed to keep flying until a night-fighter finished off the crippled Lancaster. He crash-landed on the Main Street of the little town of Pontavert. Glen was killed when the plane hit a house at the end of the street; the rest of the crew survived. He is buried in the Pontavert Communal Cemetery, Pontavert, France.

Flight Sergeant/Air Gunner John Allen McPhee, RCAF, age 20, died December 12, 1942, while crash-landing his Halifax Heavy Bomber near Helmsley, Yorkshire. He is buried in St. Catherine Churchyard, Barmby-on-the-Moor, Yorkshire, England.

Flight Sergeant Arthur Theodore Morgan, RCAF, age 29, died from complications from surgery in a London hospital on August 9, 1942. He is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery near London, England.

Flying Officer Noel Harvey Moysey, RCAF, died August 13, 1944, at age 22 when his Liberator Bomber crashed after take-off at Mysor Airport, India. He was buried in the Madras War Cemetery in India.

Flight Sergeant Earl Austin Mullins, RCAF, was killed on March 21, 1942, aged 21, when his Hurricane fighter was shot down 30 miles southwest of Gazala Inlet off the coast of North Africa. Having no known grave, his name is inscribed in the Alamein War Memorial, Egypt. Lieutenant Robert James Painton, 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion, age 22, was killed in action on September 13, 1944, after an airborne landing northeast of Marseilles, France. He is buried at Mazargues Cemetery Extension, Marseilles, France.

Rifleman Robert T. Peach, 1st Battalion, Regina Rifle Regiment, was killed in action on August 19, 1944, aged 25, probably during the action to secure the local airport. He is buried at the Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, which is near Caen, France.

Captain Wilfred Arthur Pearce, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps, was killed in action in Belgium on September 26, 1944, at the age of 36. He is buried in the Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Belgium.

Private Alexander Robert Phillips, Regina Rifle Regiment, died of his wounds on December 2, 1944, at age 21, in the fighting in and around Antwerp. He is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery near London, England.

Lieutenant John Arthur Wellbelove, 1st Airborne Battalion, Border Regiment, was killed in action at age 24 on September 25, 1944, in Oosterbeek, Holland during the battle at Arnhem. He is buried in the Arnhem British Cemetery, Arnhem, Holland.

Rifleman Steven Richard West, Regina Rifle Regiment, was killed by enemy action near Calais, France, at age 35 on September 25, 1944. He is buried in the Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Calais, France.

Flight Sergeant/Wireless Operator/Air Gunner George Walen, RCAF, age 21, died March 5, 1943, when his Wellington Heavy Bomber failed to return from a night operation over Essen, Germany. His name is inscribed on the Runnymede War Memorial, Englefield Green, Surrey, England.

There is one more former Eston resident who died in combat, albeit after the end of the Second World War. Sometime between November 29, 1947 and June 11, 1948, Frederick Stevenson, a veteran of WWII when he served in the RCAF, was killed while flying for the Israeli Air Force during the Arab/Israeli war. His body was recovered, and he is buried in Tel Aviv.