Dunkirk (1940) - 8th Battalion Officers

LIST WAS LAST UPDATED ON THE 9th SEPTEMBER 2012

Surname

Forename/s

Rank

Number

Company

Notes

Johnstone

James

Lieut.-Colonel

  

C.O.

  

Jones

Sydney Wilfred

Major

11802

2 i/c

  Mentioned-in-despatches

Hougham

Kenneth Raymond

2/Lieut.

89424 

I.O.

  

Haywood

E. J.

2/Lieut.

73657

Adjutant

Acting Captain

Moore

John

Lieut.

76444

Signals Officer

  

Day

Geoffrey H.

Major

31029

H.Q. (C.O.)

  

Ramsay

Frank Stewart

Major

18103

B (C.O.)

  

Mountford

Victor Thomas

2/Lieut.

72364

Transport Officer

  

Farrar

John Dennington

T/Capt.

72327

A and D

Killed in action 29/05/1940 (age 30)

Phillpotts

Dennis John

Capt.

58762

D (C.O.)

Wounded during withdrawal

MacDonald

Grahame Warren

Capt.

58979

C (C.O.)

Killed in action 29/05/1940 (age 28)

Dorrell

Geoffrey J.

Capt.

62423

 

  

Binyon

Edward Mario Bertram

Capt.

76670

 

Captured and became a prisoner in April 1940.  

Cleverley

Roger Eustace

Lieut.

78019

C (14 Platoon)

Wounded 28/05/1940 and taken prisoner

Stiles

Jack Philip

2/Lieut.

105539

D

  

Schluter

Edward Derek

2/Lieut.

105538

C

  

Berry

Edward Wilfrid Birkhead

A/Capt.

72430

Carrier Platoon

  

Moore

John

2/Lieut.

76444

Carrier Platoon

  

Kent

Jimmy

Lieut.

 

C (13 Platoon)

 

Nicholls

John Houlton

Lieut.

72999

C (15 Platoon)

 

Graham

Arthur Aubrey

Lieut.

78469

Q.M.

 

Baylis

Forbes Warren

Capt.

70621

 

Killed in action 23/05/1940 (age23)

Leigh

Kenneth Graham

Lieut.

121448

 

Joined 8th Bn. March 1940. Captured and became a prisoner in May 1940.

Steel

Arthur Dale

Lieut.

 

 

 

 

Lieut.-Colonel James JOHNSTONE, TD

He joined the Durham Light Infantry in 1919, retiring in the rank of Captain in 1933. In 1935 he joined the 8th Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment (TA), was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel on 26th January 1939 and took the 8th Battalion to France in January 1940. He remained in command of the Battalion in France and during the evacuation at Dunkirk in May 1940 and was mentioned in Despatches for his services during this period. He formerly handed over command in 1943 when the Battalion was in Lincolnshire.

His wife, formerly Lorna Fairbairn, was a British International and Olympic dressage horsewoman.

Lieut.-Colonel J. Johnstone died on the 16th October 1984 at Hanley Hall, Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, aged 84.

 

Major Sydney Wilfred Jones (11802)

He was commissioned to the Worcestershire Regiment from Sandhurst in 1915 and joined the 5th (Service Reserve) Battalion. During the First World War he was severely wounded while serving in France with the 2nd Battalion. Later he was Adjutant of the 5th (Service Reserve) Battalion. After the First World War he went out to the 3rd Battalion in India and on its disbandment was seconded to Staff employ. He was Adjutant of the 1st Battalion from 1929 to 1931 in India and Shanghai. He was with the 2nd Battalion in Malta in 1932 and 1933, where he played polo for the Battalion team. After a period on the Staff in Singapore, he returned home to the 1st Battalion and went with them to Palestine in 1938. In 1939 he was appointed Brigade Major of 144th Brigade (Worc. and Glos. [T.A.] Bde.) and went out to France with them in 1940. He was Second-in-Command of the 8th Battalion in the retreat and evacuation from Dunkirk and was mentioned in despatches. Colonel Jones then raised a Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, which he commanded for 3 years, taking them to India as an Armoured Regiment in 1942. Later he was G.S.O.1. at Lucknow and Commandant of the British Base Reinforcement Camp at Kalyan. He was promoted substantive Lieut.-Colonel in the Regiment in 1944 and was granted the honorary rank of Colonel when he retired on 5th October 1948 after 33½ years' service in the Regiment. After retirement he returned to the Regimental Depot, Norton Barracks where he served as Administration Officer, Editor of the Regimental Magazine "FIRM" and Curator of the Regimental Museum. He died of a heart attack, at Tiverton, Devon, on the 10th August 1962 (age 65).

 

 

Major Frank Stewart RAMSEY (18103)

Died 23rd April 1985, age 84, London.

 

 

Capt. Edward Wilfrid Birkhead BERRY, M.C. (72430)

Commanded the Carrier Platoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lieut. John MOORE (76444)

Born on the 19th October 1919. He was educated at Bromsgrove School of which he was later a Governor. He was commissioned into 8th Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment in 1938. After mobilisation he went to France in 1940 and served with considerable bravery, commanding the Carrier Platoon during the Dunkirk evacuations and later saw service in India. He later attained the rank of Major and was awarded the Territorial Decoration. After the war he resumed his farming career at Shelsley Beauchamp where he was was active in village activities.

John Moore died in Ronkswood Hospital, Worcester, after a short illness following a hip operation on 27th November 1996, age 77.

 

 

 

 

Capt. Edward Mario Bertram "Boy" BINYON (76670)

He joined The Worcestershire Regiment at Norton Barracks in 1938 remaining at the Depot until 1939. In January 1940, he went with 8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment to France and was captured in April of that year. He remained a POW until 1945 when he was attached to 4/7th Dragoon Guards. In February 1946, he became M.T.O. Mobilisation Unit (UK) and was demobilised in April 1946. In September 1946 he was appointed C.O. JTC and Games Master at the Oratory School, Woodcote, near Reading, until 1949. He remained on R.A.R.O. (Regular Army Reserve of Officers) until 1959 and, in 1956, he joined H.A.C. After The Oratory School, he took a number of jobs in Canada, UK and The Bahamas, finally retiring as Publicity Manager for Muirhead plc. His brother, Captain R. G. B. Binyon (later Father Fabian OSB at Prinknash Abbey), was commissioned in 1941 and served in 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.

Capt. E. M. B. Binyon died at Cobham, Surrey on the 28th October 2004, aged 84.

 

 

Lieut. (A/Capt) Roger Eustace CLEVERLEY (78019)

He was born in 1916 at Bedworth, Warwickshire and educated at Cathedral King's School, Worcester and he was commissioned into 8th Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment in October 1938. He commanded 14 Platoon of 'C' Company. During the rearguard action covering the retreat to Dunkirk, he was wounded and captured on 28th May 40 and held as a Prisoner of War for 5 years including a period in Colditz. As a prisoner, he contributed to the production of plays by looking after the wardrobe and making clothes out of blankets. On being released he was attached to the Military Collecting Unit, Talavera Barracks, Northampton from 1945 to 1946. On returning to civilian life he became a Company Secretary until he finally retired in 1981.

Lieut. R. E. Cleverley died at Malvern, Worcestershire on 29th October 2002 aged 86.

 

 

 

 

Lieut. John H. NICHOLLS (72999)

He was granted a T.A. commission in The Worcestershire Regiment in 1937 and served in the 8th Battalion. In France in 1940 he was commander of 15 Platoon of 'C' Company. He also acted as commander of 'C' Company for some months and also led a series of long-distance patrols on the Saar front. He was taken prisoner near Dunkirk and spent the rest of the war as a POW. After the war he took a close interest in the WRA Rifle Club.

Lieut. J. H. Nicholls died at Bromsgrove on 13th August 1997, aged 88.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lieut. Kenneth Raymond HOUGHAM (89424)

Commissioned in to the Worcestershire Regiment on the 24th August 1939. Known as "Ken", he joined the 8th Battalion and was posted to 'C' Company (Bromsgrove). He went to France with the 8th Battalion in 1940 and after the retreat from Dunkirk he was posted to the War Office. He was later posted to the 2nd Battalion Royal Leicestershire Regiment and to the Indian Army and the Chindits. After the war he returned to the Motor Industry and went to Australia where he was Chairman of the Australian Motor Industries and was instrumental in introducing Toyota, which became the market leader there in the 1990's.

Ken died in New South Wales, Australia on the 30th October 2000, age 88.

 

 

 

 

Captain Dennis John PHILLPOTTS (58762)

Captain D. J. PhillpottsDennis John Phillpotts was educated at Banbury County School and early developed a love for affairs military, rising to be the C.S.M. of the School O.T.C. On leaving school he joined the Bucks Yeomanry, and when a staff transfer by Barclays Bank brought him to Bromsgrove he immediately took a commission in the 8th Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment (T.A.). He soon showed himself to be a keen and efficient officer, being a particularly good shot with both Rifle and Revolver. In 1938 he won the Service Rifle Championship of Worcestershire at the Annual Rifle Meeting of the County Rifle Association and also represented the Battalion at Bisley for a number of years. He was a very good athlete and was always to the fore in Sports events at the Battalion's Annual Sports.

Shortly before the Second World War he was promoted to Captain and was given the command of "D" Company on mobilization, going to France with the 8th Battalion, where he was wounded during the withdrawal to Dunkirk. After a brief period in hospital he was back with the 8th Battalion, and then was posted to the 9th Battalion as 2nd-in-Command, serving with that Battalion in Northern Ireland until he was posted to India in 1943. There he became 2nd-in-Command of 9th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, and took part in the fighting in the Arakhan.

At the age of 32 he was given Command of No. 34 Indian Reinforcement Camp S.E.A.C. with the rank of T/Lieut.-Colonel, which he held until his release from the Army. Very shortly after returning to England he lost a leg and, was unable to rejoin the T.A. on its re-formation, but became the representative of the re-formed 7th Battalion on the Worcestershire T. & A.F.A.

"Potts" as he was known, was universally popular with all ranks, despite a tendency to bluntness. He died on the 12th October 1947 at the age of 35. (photo kindly provided by his son Mike Phillpotts)

 


2nd Lieutenant Jack Philip STILES (105539) "Stykes"

Jack was born in East Sheen on 10th March 1919 and educated at King's College School, Wimbledon. He enlisted in The Artists Rifles in January 1937 and attended officer training at Shorncliffe in September 1939; he was commissioned into The Worcestershire Regiment on 11th November 1939 and was posted to the 8th Battalion in Marlborough. The Battalion crossed to France in January 1940 and he fought in the campaign following the German invasion of Belgium and France. He escaped to England through Dunkirk and joined the re-formed Battalion at Kington.

He married Jean E. Roed in Surrey, June 1940.

In 1943, he volunteered for overseas service and was posted to Egypt and then India for jungle training with 7th Battalion The South Lancashire Regiment at Budni. He joined 7th Battalion The Worcestershire Regiment at Kohima in Burma after the Irrawaddy crossing as a Company 2nd-in-command. He spent a short time as a staff officer with HQ 2nd Army in Bangalore in 1945 and then returned to the 7th Battalion at Muzzaffapur to return home as a Major, having commanded that very depleted Battalion for a short time. After demobilisation in 1946, he joined Klinger of Margate Ltd, a textile company, becoming a Director in 1964: he retired in 1982. An enthusiastic golfer, he was a member of St Augustine's G.C. for 30 years. Always proud to have served in The Worcestershire Regiment, he was, reputedly, never without his regimental tie. He died at Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, on 2nd March 2007 aged 87.

 

 

Lieutenant Kenneth Graham LEIGH (121448)

He joined the HAC in 1937, was commissioned into The Worcestershire Regiment in February 1940 and joined the 8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in France in March 1940. He was Mentioned in Despatches for his action during the confused situation around Dunkirk in May, after which he was captured and spent the rest of the war as a POW. He was repatriated in May 1945 and released from the Army in 1946. His younger brother Colin served as a regular officer in the Worcestershire Regiment during and after the war.

K. Leigh died at Buckinghamshire on the 14th December 1999, aged 81.

 

 

 



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