www.stradbrokemonthly.co.uk
November 2019
No.457
“We will remember them…”
This year we remember that it is 80 years since the beginning of the Second World War in which Stradbroke lost six young soldiers. One of those men was Arthur Norman whose own father had perished in WW1. Arthur served in Burma and was captured by the Japanese a year before he died as a prisoner. Three more of our village boys were also in Burma, two of whom also died as Japanese prisoners of war. They are George Chambers and Kenneth Cowling. James Chambers escaped capture but perished in India a year later. The first Stradbroke casualty of WW2 was Ronald Lines who died near, or at, Dunkirk just 6 days before the evacuation took place. The last WW2 Stradbroke casualty was Donald Moore who died of his wounds in France. His commanding officer wrote the following words to his mother:-
“On August 6th we had to attend a little village called Le Buscq near Vire and the troop leader was observing from the turret of the tank which was a little way back from the forward positions. Suddenly something hit the tank – I think it must have been a very heavy shell – and it was completely destroyed. Somehow your son avoided being killed outright as were the rest of the crew and we had to report him “died of wounds”. I know how awful that sounds but if it is any consolation to you I can assure you that he didn’t suffer . . . . .”
Donald Moore
James Chambers
Arthur Norman
This year we will also remember Ethel Mary Tate who died as a result of doing her duty during the First World War as a nurse tending the wounded and sick soldiers. Ethel was the daughter of the Rev. William Tate, Rector of Stradbroke. Her family contacted The Imperial War Museum for recognition of her sacrifice for which permission was granted. Ann Readman, SARA
An Act of Remembrance will take place on 10th Nov at 10:50am at the War Memorial.