Introduction

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I do not intend to relate any of the wartime exploits of any Rowlands Gill servicemen or women, except those who paid the ultimate price, because it would be wrong to single out a few when they all deserve equal merit. It is worth remembering, however, that men from the village fought in all of the services and in all theatres of the war. One man who lives in the Centre of the village was one of the first onto Gold Beach during the D-Day landings, another, not far away, survived the Dunkirk Evacuation, a third fought at El Alamein. Others served in the Royal Navy, and a short distance from the village, we find men who flew with Bomber and Fighter Commands. The temptation to describe the exploits of local regiments such as the Durham Light Infantry and the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers has also been resisted because the majority of the servicemen and women from the village, the conscripts, served in units other than these.

The volunteer units, however, deserve special mention. Men from the Territorial Army, the Royal Auxiliary Air Force and the Royal Naval Reserve volunteered to serve in these organisations at a time when the situation in Europe was such that war was a distinct possibility, and they knew that they would be the first to be called up. First the Royal Naval Reserve; this was formed in 1905 and in 1907 they obtained a drill ship, H.M.S. Calliope, for the Tyne. This was a 20 year old iron-clad corvette, the only vessel in Apia Harbour, Samoa, to have survived a hurricane on March 16th 1889 which claimed 20 ships and 130 lives. The ship was tied up at Elswick and served as a training base for numerous officers and men who later fought in World War I. During that war the training ship became a recruiting depot for the Royal Navy and was renamed H.M.S. Helecon because the name Calliope was allocated to a light cruiser. After the war the iron-clad reverted to its training role and in 1931 it reclaimed the name H.M.S. Calliope when the light cruiser was scrapped. When war was declared, officers and men from H.M.S. Calliope were assigned to Royal Navy ships, mostly corvettes on escort duties. Reserves were known as the Wavy Navy because their marks of rank were wavy rings. H.M.S. Calliope was taken to the Albert Edward Dock and used as an accommodation ship during hostilities. Today H.M.S. Calliope is a shore station on South Shore Road, Gateshead; it still trains men and women for naval service. A number of minesweepers have been attached to the station over the years; H.M.S. Orwell, is their current vessel.

607 (County of Durham) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force was formed at Usworth Aerodrome on March 17th 1930. They were equipped with a number of aircraft types during the 1930s, including De Havilland Gypsy Moths, Avro 504s and Westland Wapitis. In 1936 they became a fighter unit and were equipped with Hawker Demons. They were called up temporarily during the Munich Crisis of 1938 and in December of that year they were re-equipped with Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters. The annual August camp in 1939 was at Abbotsinch in Scotland, but on the 24th of that month they were ordered back to Usworth and became full-time Royal Air Force personnel.

The Squadron moved to Acklington to take part in the air defence of the North-East during October 1939 and then went to France as part of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. While there they destroyed 72 enemy aircraft with another 56 possibly destroyed or damaged. They returned to Usworth in June 1940 and were re-equipped with Hurricane fighters. They were scrambled on occasions during this period including the famous Adler Tag of August 15th 1940 when they patrolled Tyneside to deal with any aircraft which managed to reach the coast. In September they went to R.A.F. Tangmere at the height of the Battle of Britain and did not return to Usworth until December 1940. The Squadron then became the first to equip with Hurricane Fighter-Bombers and moved to R.A.F. Manston. Then, in March 1942, they moved out to India to fight the Japanese and remained there until the end of the war. After the war the Squadron, volunteers once again, were based at R.A.F. Ouston. They flew Spitfires and, from 1951, Vampire Jet Fighters, until the Squadron was disbanded, along with the rest of the Auxiliary Air Force, in March 1957.

This might also be the place to mention the Air Training Corps (A.T.C.) which was very popular with youngsters in our area and supplied the Royal Air Force with many well prepared recruits. There were two A.T.C. units at or near Rowlands Gill; 929 Squadron (Hookergate School) and 1072 Squadron (Rowlands Gill). The first was run by Mr Alexander Hill, a physics teacher at the school, and activities there included "square-bashing" on the playground, aircraft recognition, signalling with an Aldis Lamp (the lamp was still in the Physics Department in 1964, it may still be there) and flying experience at Acklington and Usworth Aerodromes. The Rowlands Gill unit was run by two other Hookergate teachers, William Errington and George Tulip, and met at the Scout Hut at Lintzford. They had an M.T. (Motor Transport) Section which met in the Fitting Shop at the Inkworks - Mr Jack Foster was the instructor there.

The Territorial Army was represented in our area by the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. This was formed, as mentioned elsewhere, in 1908 and saw active service in World War I -their battle honours included Ypres, Somme and Passchendaele. The unit reformed in 1920 and its companies, based at drill halls in Chopwell, Blaydon, Gateshead and Felling, all remained close to full strength. At the outbreak of war the 9th Battallion, together with the 6th Battalion (based at Consett, Crook, Spennymoor, Bishop Aucklad and Barnard Castle) and the 8th (based at Durham, Chester-le-Street, Stanley and Washington), formed 151 Brigade of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. They were involved in many major battles throughout the war - Havrincourt, Canal du Nord, Arras Counter Attack, St Omer-La Bassee, Dunkirk, Zt el Marassas, Point 174, El Elamein, Mareth, Sicily Landing, Primosole Bridge, D-Day Landing, Villers Brocage, Tilly-sur-Seulles, St Pierre la Vielle, Gheel, Roer and Ibbenburen. In 1947 the 9th D.L.I. became the 17th Battalion (Territorial Army) The Parachute Regiment. On July 12th 1981 a memorial was unveiled in Saltwell Park, Gateshead. It was made from stones recovered from the Drill Hall in Burt Terrace, Gateshead, when it was demolished. The inscription reads In memory of the 1,419 officers and other ranks who laid down their lives in the wars between 1900 and 1945, each a son of the 9th Battalion the Durham Light Infantry T.A.

Undated newspaper cuttings - Author's Collection

The following lists of service casualties in the two World Wars are taken from the war memorials at Rowlands Gill, St Patrick's Church and Hookergate School. Some additional details, supplied by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and family members, are included for the Rowlands Gill casualties in World War II.

1089147 Sergeant. Alfred ARCHER, a Flight Engineer with 619 Squadron R.A.F. Bomber Command; died Sept 12 1944 in a Lancaster on a bombing run to Darmstadt. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.

7934482 Trooper James Wilson BARRETT, of "C" Squadron, 17/21st Lancers; died January 19th 1943, aged 35 years, during the drive for Tripoli by Montgomery's Desert Army. Buried Thibar Seminary War Cemetery, Tunisia. Husband of Mary.

T/206519 Private Thomas CALLENDER of 247 Motor Boat Company, R.A.S.C.; died January 1st 1944, aged 28 years. Commemorated on the Brookwood Memorial, Surrey. Husband of Ellen.

1591628 Sergeant Winston Pescod CLOUGH, a Flight Engineer of 630 Squadron R.A.F. Bomber Command; died March 18th 1944, aged 19 years, in a Lancaster during a bombing run to Frankfurt. Buried Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium. Son of Samuel Mark and Ethel Gertrude.

4399223 Private George Rose ELLIOTT, of 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment; died October 12th 1944, aged 27 years, as the Allies fought to liberate the Netherlands. Buried Overloon War Cemetery, Netherlands. Husband of Jane Leck Elliott.

T/14664200 Private George Alan Tarran ELLIS, of the R.A.S.C. (attached to the 28th Infantry Brigade); died December 4th 1944, aged 21 years, as the Allies sought to strengthen their hold on the Low Countries. Buried Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Belgium. Son of George Frederick and Eva Mary.

FX 605365 P.O. Airman Vivian GRAHAM, Royal Navy serving on H.M.S. Owl. Died March 15th 1945, aged 19 years. Buried in Rosskeen Parish Churchyard on the Cromarty Firth. Son of John and Elizabeth Eleanor.

3060464 Private Thomas Raymond LAYBOURNE of the 7/9th Battalion The Royal Scots; died April 8th 1945, aged 27 years, as British columns raced across Germany towards Hanover and Bremen. Buried Becklingen War Cemetery, Saltau, Germany. Husband of Kathleen.

975828 Gunner Joseph Bill LOGAN of 425 Battery, 107 (The South Notts Hussars) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery; died June 8th 1942, aged about 21 years, as the British faced Rommel's Afrika Korps who were racing westwards across Libya. Buried Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Accroma, Libya.

538451 Sergeant George Alexander MATTHEWS, an Air Gunner of 220 Squadron R.A.F. Coastal Command; died July 14th 1940, aged 22 years, in a Hudson aircraft which crashed at East Boldon after colliding with barrage-balloon cables. Buried St. Patrick's Churchyard, High Spen. Son of George and Elizabeth Lyon Matthews.

P/SSX 21053 A.B. Harry OXLEY, Royal Navy serving on the battleship H.M.S. Royal Oak. Died October 14th 1939, aged 20, along with 809 of his shipmates, when his ship, at anchor off Scapa Flow, was struck by three torpedoes fired from the German U-Boat, U47. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Nephew and adopted son of Edward and Ann Oxley.

4453301 Private Isaac OXLEY, 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, died June 30th 1940, aged 32 years. Believed to have died of wounds sustained during the rearguard action in defence of troops retreating towards Dunkirk. Buried Lille Southern Cemetery, France.

Cadet Frank PATTISON, Merchant Navy, serving as cabin boy on the S.S. Glenlea; died November 7th 1942, aged 16 years, on his very first voyage when the ship was sunk with all hands. Commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

C/JX 194173 Telegraphist Arthur REAY, Royal Navy serving on H.M. Trawler Alberic; died May 3rd 1941, aged 25 years, when his ship sank following a collision off the Orkneys. Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Husband of Margaret.

7894459 Trooper Stanley ROBINSON of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards. died February 24th 1945, aged 32 years, during the desperate battles to clear nine German divisions from the Reichswald Forest. Buried Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.

2193809 Lance Serjeant Thomas Glenwright SCOTT, 225 Field Company, Royal Engineers; died May 12th 1944, aged 25 years, during attempts to dislodge the Germans from the Gustav Line at Cassino, between Rome and Naples. Buried in the Cassino War Cemetery, Italy. Son of John William and Annie.

4455916 Private Thomas SLATER, 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry; died May 30th 1940, aged 32 years, killed in action near Bulscamp, Bergues Canal to the south-east of Dunkirk. Buried Dozinghem War Cemetery, Belgium. Husband of Margaret.

1578244 Flight Sergeant Joseph Kenneth SMITH of 177 Squadron R.A.F.; died November 24th 1944. Commemorated on the Singapore Memorial.

Leading Stoker Ralph Hood STUBBS, Royal Navy, serving on the minesweeper H.M.S. Magic; died July 6th 1944, aged 26 years, along with 25 shipmates, when his ship, together with the minesweeper H.M.S. Cato, both at anchor off the Normandy beaches, were attacked and sunk by "human torpedoes".

1777401 Flight Sergeant John James TIMMINS, R.A.F. Flight Engineer; died September 28th 1943, aged 19 years, when his Halifax bomber, EB181, of 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit based at Croft, crashed on high ground north-east of Thirsk while returning from a training run. Buried St Patrick's Churchyard, High Spen. Son of James E. and Agnes L.

161476 Pilot Officer Thomas WRIGHT of 101 Squadron R.A.F. Bomber Command; died January 2nd 1944 during a bombing run to Berlin in which his Squadron carried Electronic Counter Measures to disrupt German night-fighter communications. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. Son of Albert Benjamin and Catherine Ann.

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