The following is a list with biographies of the 249 people who attended Malvern College and died due to the Second World War. There is also a corresponding page commemorating the 459 casualties in the First World War.
The fallen are commemorated at Malvern with the statue of St. George, which is inscribed 'To Our Brothers', and the names themselves are written on a marble memorial in the Ante-Chapel.
After the Phoney war had ended, there was not a month from May 1940 to May 1945, that an Old Malvernian did not lose their life, though unlike the First World War there were not major spikes in losses on a particular day or month.
5 were killed in the Battle of Dunkirk at the end of May 1940, and 4 during the Battle of Britain between July and October 1940.
3 OMs lost their lives during the Blitz between September 1940 and May 1941.
21 lost their lives in the Western Desert Campaign between June 1940 to February 1943 with 5 buried at El Alamein War Cemetery and 6 commemorated at the Alamein Memorial.
4 were killed during the Allied invasion of Sicily between July and August 1943, and 5 at the Battle of Monte Cassino between January and May 1944 with 8 commemorated at the Cassino Memorial And Cemetery.
8 were killed after the D-Day landings during Operation Overlord between June and August 1944, and 2 in Operation Market Garden in September 1944.
In South-East Asia, 2 were killed during the Japanese-Thai occupation of Malaya between Dec 1941 and Jan 1942, 4 were killed during the Japanese occupation of Singapore in February 1942, and 7 were killed during the Burma Campaign between 1942 and 1945.
Most (97) OMs served in the R.A.F. with many in Bomber Command. 22 are commemorated at Runnymede Memorial as they have no known grave.
14 served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, 5 in the Royal Navy, 31 in the Royal Artillery, and 4 in the Royal Tank Regiment, with the remainder disbursed among 75 other units.
George Chesterton in the Remembrance Day Service of 2009, having described the lives and loss of five of his friends, reflected:
'Some of these brave men have no known grave, but we must remember them, along with all the tens of thousands of others, who gave their lives for their homelands and their friends. It is thanks to them that all of us sit in this Chapel, from a wide variety of countries and backgrounds and are able to sit together in security and friendship.'
The information below is based on 'The Malvern College Register, Second Supplement, 1949' edited for the Malvernian Society by F. W. Roberts, the 'The Malvernian' school magazine, and 'Malvern College: A 150th Anniversary Portrait' by Roy Allen.
Further information was also obtained from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, the Unit War Diaries held at the National Archives in Kew, and various online commemorative websites whose links have been provided.
Below is a map showing the locations of the 126 cemeteries where Old Malvernians are buried or commemorated in. The markers are coloured yellow for one casualty, orange for between 2 and 4, and red for 5 or more. The name of the cemetery and number of casualties can be seen by hovering over the marker, and the list of names seen by clicking on the marker. Their full biographies can be seen by clicking on 'Further Info'.
The records can be filtered and/or sorted by surname, house, age, regiment, date, place etc by clicking on the appropriate drop down box and then the 'Search' button below the map.
Born 22 Jul 1916. Son of C. St Hugh Dawes. Mrs Johnstone, The Rookery, Waterbeach, Cambridge.
Bus. V. School Prefect. Head of House.
With Colombo Commercial Co.
6 Sqdn. Royal Air Force
During the early part of the war, the squadron flew Westland Lysanders in an army co-operation role in Palestine.
F/L Dawes and Sgt Chantry took off near Mantruh in Lysander L.6877 at 08:50 on 14th Dec 1940 to carry out a reconnaissance of Maddalena but failed to return.
The aircraft was seen to be shot down just over the Libyan border and that the two members of the crew were buried by soldiers where they had fallen. The graves though have not been found.
Http://www.stanwardine.com/malvernww1/ww2/Dawes_record_missing.pdf
Son of Edward Christian Elliott and Edith Irene Elliott, of Bessel's Green, Kent, and of Pedro, Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon.
Sci V. House Prefect.
S. E. Agric. College, Wye.
Tea Planting. Assistant Superintendent Nuwara Eliya Estates, Ceylon.
Lance Corp., Ceylon Rifle Brigade. Wounded Dec. 1941 and killed in Libya, 23 July, 1942.
2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade
(No specific mention in this unit war diary)
Unit war diary: WO 169/5055
Son of Henry Herbert Russell Gresham and of Gladys Elizabeth Gresham (nee Smethurst), c/o Falkland Islands Co., 61 Gracechurch St. Nephew of Irene Dunnett, of Boscombe, Bournemouth, Hampshire.
House Prefect. Swimming Team.
148 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The squadron flew Vickers Wellington bombers.
Missing as a result of air operations in Tobruk Harbour.
He was the 2nd Pilot in Wellington HD 947 with P/O S.C Pearson as the 1st Pilot, Sgt A.H. Threfall as the Navigator, F/Sgt D.D. Miller as the WO/AG, F/Sgt D.A. Miller as the F/Gnr and Sgt R.M.G. Banbury as the R/Gnr.
The aircraft set off at 22.35 for operations on Tobruk but failed to return.
Squadron operations, June 1942: AIR 27_994_37
Detailed operations: AIR 27_994_38
Son of Kenneth J. and Ruth Harper, of Ballacolla, Co. Leix, Irish Republic, and Ozleworth Pk., Wotton-under-Edge, Glos.
School Prefect. XI Football. Ledbury Cap. Athletic Colours. L.-Sergt. In O.T.C.
2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
Royal Armoured Corps
His Major writes: "The squadron had to stand up to some 150 enemy tanks and we had to take some heavy punishment. John as usual was right up at the front and giving them everything he had got until he was killed instantaneously by a small-arms bullet. He was far and away my best Troop Leader and his wonderful keenness and complete fearlessness was a grand example and inspiration to all." Those of us who knew John Harper at School would have expected nothing less. (Malvernian, March 1942)
Son of Henry and Mary Scard, 30 Hamilton Terr., Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.
Husband of Marguerite L. Scard, of Llandaff, Cardiff.
Royal Institute of British Architects. Archibald Dawnay Scholarship (Welsh Sch of Architecture, Cardiff).
37 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The squadron flew Vickers Wellington bombers in the Middle East from November 1940.
P/O Scard took off at 20:05 on the 9th May 1942 in Wellington B.8987 and was detailed to attack shipping at Benghazi, but no news was heard of the aircraft after take off, and was reported missing.
37 Sqdn. Operation records, May 1942 AIR 27/390/9
Detail AIR 27/390/10
Son of William Glen Stares and Gertrude Grace Stares, Manor House, Upham, Hants.
House Prefect.
3 Field Regt. Royal Artillery
'16th June 1942. El Adem. Enemy shelling early fairly heavy. CO - Lieut Col P.H. Teesdale wounded but refuses to leave.
15:00 - Brigade is to hold the box to the last man and the last round.
21:30 - Orders received to evacuate at 15 minutes notice. No preparations had been made and transport is fatally short.
17th June - Regiment re-assembled at Kennels East of Libyan Frontier. 5 guns only saved.
Captains G.R.D. Stares and another officer believed killed, with 4 officers believed P.O.W.'
Unit war diary: WO 169/4574