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.
Son of Maurice Syndercombe Bower and Geraldine Bower, of Bagbere, Sturminster Newton, Dorsetshire.
Army V. School Prefect. Football XI. Cricket XXII.
Sandhurst (Assoc. Football Blue).
2nd Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
Son of G. H. Pearson-Perry (O.M.), Portland Ho., Pedmore, Stourbridge.
Head of House. School Prefect.
Engineer M.I.M.E. Director of Mobberly & Derry.
Lieut. 7th Bn. Worcestershire Regt.
605 Sqdn.Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)
Fighter squadron with Hawker Hurricanes.
'Humorous, high-spirited but essentially level-headed, George Perry threw himself with energy into all that he undertook. At school his most outstanding talent was his marksmanship. He had long been interested in Flying and several years before the War was a Flight-Lieutenant in the Auxiliary Air Force. He was the son of G. H. Pearson-Perry (§.87) and was married to Ruth, third daughter of Charles Toppin. ' (Malvernian, Mar 1941).
Combat report:
'S/Ldr Perry, 605 Squadron, 22.5.40
As ‘B’ Flight Leader after losing contact with ‘A’ Flight at 1200 hours owing to cloud, and patrolling S.W. of Arras for 10 minutes, I turned to engage a small formation of doubtful aircraft. I lost sight of them until B.3 forged ahead pointing the way. The Section followed up on his attack but ‘glycol’ was seen to be coming from his machine as he broke away. The two HE:111s then separated and the starboard one was shot down finally by Green Section while Cooper-Slipper and myself engaged the port E/A. Two of the crew escaped by parachute and the enemy aircraft crashed after my final burst of fire. It has sustained previous damage to the tail unit and I think the starboard engine. Ammunition being expended and the flight split up all aircraft was ordered to return to base. I encountered 4 ME.109 on my return but evaded them in cloud and pancaked at 13.15 hours.'
Operation Records:
Hawkinge. 27th May 1940, Red 1 (S/Ldr Perry flying Hurricane P.3423) took off at 14:35, and followed by Red Section attacked 3 Dorniers. After encounter, ammunition mainly expended and on breakaway encountered 15 Messerschmitt 109s five miles S.W. Dunkirk. Six aircraft returned to base 15.55. S/Ldr Perry, F/O Danielson missing.
Combat report at National Archives AIR-50_169_114
May 1940 Ops AIR-27_2088_9
Detail AIR-27_2088_10
Son of Frank S. Crossland, and of Florence Crossland, of Hargate Drive, Hale, Cheshire.
House Prefect.
1/8th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers
Mentioned in Despatches
He was listed as 'wounded and missing' in the unit war diary during the evacuation at Dunkirk.
'Men packed like sardines and the sea dotted with all kinds of equipment. Dunkirk was frequently bombed and soon oil tanks and part of the town were ablaze, spreading a huge pall of smoke over the sky.'
Unit war diary: WO 167/781
Son of Sir (Hippolyte) Louis (Wiehe du Coudray) Souchon, C.B.E., and Lady Souchon (nee Rouillard), Fen Pl., Turner's Hill, Sussex
Army I. Grey French 1913, 1914. House Prefect.
Sandhurst. 15th Hussars 1914.
15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars, Royal Armoured Corps
Served in the last war with the 15th Hussars and won the M.C. He retired as Captain in 1922, but rejoined his old regiment with the same rank and died of wounds in May 1940.
He died of wounds as part of the 'Belgian Mission'.
Unit war diary: WO 167/454