Roll of Honour - May 1944
FORBES, WILLIAM CLIFFORD: Sgt. 4861879, 7th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, died on 1st May 1944 age 27. Son of Frederick and Margaret Forbes of Burton, husband of Joan D. Forbes of Calais Road, Burton. The family were informed that William had been accidentally killed in the India theatre of war operations. This news reached his wife Corporal Joan Forbes who was serving with the A.T.S and was at that time serving in Scotland. William Forbes had joined the works department of the Burton Daily Mail when he was 16 years of age. When he completed his apprenticeship he became a Lino Type operator. GEARY, STEPHEN TEBBETT: D.F.M. Flight Lieutenant 135470, 58 Squadron RAF Volunteer Reserve. Killed in action on 2nd May 1944 age 24. Son of Walter and Emily Geary of Burton, Husband of Doris Elizabeth Geary of King Street, Burton. Flight Lieutenant Geary’s aircraft was shot down while attacking an enemy submarine.
GRAIN, ARTHUR JAMES: D.F.M Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) 155255, 550 Squadron RAF Volunteer Reserve. Killed in action - shot down over France on 3rd May aged 28. Son of James and Sarah Grain, of Burton Road, Tutbury, SUTTON, THOMAS FREDERICK: Private , 1st Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, died on 5th May, age 28. Son of Herbert and Thurza Sutton, husband of Nancy May Sutton of Hartshorne. LEWIS, GEOFFREY WILLIAM: Flying Officer. 139 Squadron RAFVR, killed in action on 11th May, aged 23. Son of Harry and Dorothy Myatt Lewis, husband of Dorothy Mary Lewis of Lullington Road, Overseal.
Flying Officer Lewis piloted a Mosquito Bomber from RAF Upwood in Huntingdonshire. He was killed when his plane crashed at Chittering, 8 miles Northeast of Cambridge, when a flare ignited inside his aircraft while returning from a raid on Ludwigshafen in Germany. The navigator of the Mosquito survived. CLOUGH. DAVID: Flight Sergeant, Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner, 75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAFVR, killed in action on 12th May, age 21. Son of Vina and the late George Clough, of Swannington Street, Burton.
News had been received by his mother Mrs. Vina Clough who at that time was living in Blackpool. She was informed that her son was missing on operations over enemy territory and is now reported killed.
KING, ALFRED HENRY: Lance Corporal 5th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment, killed in action on 16th May 1944 age 26. Son of George and Mary King, husband of Marguerite Ida Doreen King, of Richmond Street, Burton. Alfred had been in the army for four years the last two of which serving in North Africa. Whilst there he unexpectedly met up with his brother Lance Corporal Sid King who lived at Cornwall Road, Stapenhill. In a letter to his wife Alfred’s company commander stated that her husband was : “a very fine soldier and a very fine man.”