The British Normandy Memorial
This morning a memorial was unveiled at Ver-sur-Mer in memory of the service men and women under British command who died on D Day and during the Battle of Normandy.
Twenty-three of the 22,424 names on the new memorial belong to members of staff who worked for Aviva’s ancestor companies.
I’ve spent the morning searching for them on the memorial website’s roll of honour database. The database lists their names and regiments but often our research in the Aviva Archive includes additional information and sometimes even a photograph. I thought I’d share what we know of their stories.
Peter Sherlock Band worked for Friends Provident and Century in the London head office Fire Department. He came from Blackheath and served as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 144 Squadron. He died on 13 June 1944 aged 22.
Alexander Berry worked for the Edinburgh Assurance Company in the head office in George Street, Edinburgh. He served as a Captain in the Seaforth Highlanders and was killed in action in Normandy on 01 July 1944.
Eric Alfred Bingham worked for the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation Ltd. in their Thames Valley office. He was killed in action in Normandy on 09 June 1944 while serving as a Driver with the Royal Engineers, 253 Field Company. He was 25.
Frank Christopher Bond worked in the Norwich Union Fire head office in Surrey Street Norwich. He was a member of the Workmen’s Compensation Department and started work as a temporary member of staff in October 1939. He enlisted in the Rifle Brigade in January 1942 later transferring to the Royal Corps of Signals and within that to the Parachute Brigade. He was among the airborne forces landed by parachute on D Day, which was also his 21st birthday. He died on 19 August 1944.
Aubrey William Alexander Burnell worked in the London head office of the Road Transport & General Insurance Company where he was a member of the Accounts Department. He served as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 97 Squadron and lost his life on 21 July 1944 during a raid on Courtrai. He was 24 and was taking part in his 56th operation as part of a Pathfinder unit.
Ronald Burnhope worked in the Edinburgh office of the Scottish Insurance Corporation Ltd. He died on 11 July 1944 while serving as a Lieutenant in the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 1st Battalion. He was 24.
Duncan Jamieson McCormick Currie worked in the Glasgow office of the Northern Assurance Company. Known in the office as Don, he joined the company as a junior in 1937. He enlisted in 1940 and was serving as a Flight Sergeant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 201 Squadron when he was reported missing after air operations on 12 June 1944. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Medal for operations on 11 June, the day prior to his last flight. The DFM was gazetted on 25 August 1944 as follows: “This officer and airmen were members of the crew of an aircraft which recently attacked a U-boat. Their attack, faultless in its execution, was pressed home with great vigour and reflects the greatest credit on the skill and gallantry of the captain, Flight Lieutenant Baveystock, and also on the efficiency and exemplary conduct of Flight Sergeant Currie and Sergeant South who cooperated so well with their leader.” His obituary in the staff magazine reads: “Small of build but of an exceptionally clean cut physique, he quickly established himself as a favourite of all: in the office. His smart intelligence and quick grasp of detail, together with a courteousness always accompanied by a smile and complete thoroughness in all things, gave definite promise of a successful future; on the football field he was courageous and dour; he was never beaten.” He was 24.
Roy Alfred Drapper was a member of the Accounts Department in the London head office of the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company. He enlisted on 01 September 1939 and was killed on operational duties on 09 August 1944 while serving as a Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 4 Squadron. His Commanding Officer wrote: “He had taken off on an operational sortie, but shortly afterwards was forced to abandon the aircraft. An eye-witness’s story I heard said that the pilot appeared to stay in the aircraft until he was certain that it would not fall on the town; it was then very low and when he baled out his parachute had not time to open. I find it easy to believe such heroism of such a fine man, and am happy to say that death was instantaneous.” He was 23.
Donald Forrest worked in the Dunfermline branch for General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation. He was killed on 08 June 1944 when the invasion barge in which he had embarked for the D Day + 1 landings was hit by a torpedo. A captain in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, he was 28 years old when he died.
Gordon Frank Alfred Guy worked for the General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation in the Nottingham branch. He was killed in action in Normandy on 30 June 1944 while serving as a Trooper in the Royal Armoured Corps, 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry. He was 21.
Roy Henry Harvey worked in the London head office of the Indemnity Marine Assurance Company which he had joined in February 1939. He enlisted on 15 October 1942 and served as a Private in the East Yorkshire Regiment 2nd Battalion where he was a stretcher bearer and a member of the regimental band. He died on 19 July 1944 aged 20. His obituary in the staff magazine described his “quiet and unassuming disposition” and noted that he was very popular and would be sadly missed by all his colleagues.
Alfred Laurence Head worked as an inspector at Chesterfield for the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation reporting in to their Nottingham branch. He had joined the company’s London head office Motor Department on probation in April 1931, aged 16. During the war he served in the Royal Armoured Corps and the Nottinghamshire (Sherwood Rangers) Yeomanry. He worked as an Intelligence Officer and saw service in North Africa and Italy. He was commended by General Montgomery when he went to rescue two members of a bathing parade from drowning in Sicily when a very strong tide was running. He was serving as a Lieutenant when he was killed in action in Normandy on 11 June 1944, aged 29. The photograph shows him in 1931 when he first joined the company.
William Scougal Henderson worked in the Edinburgh head office of the Scottish Union and National Insurance Company. He was serving as a Lieutenant with the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), 5th Battalion when he was killed in action on 11 July 1944. He was 24.
John Edward Philip Hutchings worked in the Bristol branch of the Northern Assurance Company. He began working for the company in January 1936 in the Accident Department. He was called up in October 1939 and saw service with the Somerset Light Infantry and the Parachute Regiment. According to the staff magazine: “The aircraft in which he flew to Normandy on the great invasion day was one of those reported missing and nothing more was ever heard of it or its crew”. The database of the British Normandy Memorial has additional information about his death. It says he was a passenger in a Stirling Mk.IV EF116 which took off from RAF Fairford shortly before midnight on 5 June. It was transporting members of the 7th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, 6th (Airborne) Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment and one member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for Operation Tonga [the airborne part of the D Day Landings]. It was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Château de Grangues, Grangues, Calvados killing all on board. According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, he died on 06 June 1944 aged 25.
James Lancaster Hutchinson worked in the Cardiff branch of the Commercial Union Assurance Company. He was serving as a Private in the Monmouthshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion when he died on 08 July 1944 of wounds received in Normandy. He was 29.
Alastair Aitchison MacKay worked for the Provident Accident and White Cross Insurance Company in the London head office. He had joined the company in October 1937 and was attached to the Accountant’s Department of Northern Assurance, the Provident Accident’s parent company, at the outbreak of war. He served as a Lance Corporal in the Royal Armoured Corps and with the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars. He died on 12 June 1944 aged 22.
Desmond George Marchant joined the staff of the Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association in 1937. During the war he served as a Lieutenant in the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, 1st /4th Battalion. He died of wounds in France on 19 June 1944 when he was 28.
Charles Maurice Akers Read worked for General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation in the Accounts department of the Aldwych office in London. He was serving as a Corporal with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps 12th Battalion (2nd Battalion The Queen’s Westminsters) when he was killed in action in Normandy on 11 August 1944. He was 26.
David Robert Stenhouse was a member of the Claims Department in the Glasgow branch of General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation. He was serving as a Midshipman in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on His Majesty’s Motor Gun Boat 17 when he died, aged just 19, on 11 June 1944.
Harry Osborne Stuart Voss was working in the West End branch of Railway Passengers Assurance Company on the outbreak of war, having initially joined the company’s London head office as a cashier. As a member of the territorials he was called up on the outbreak of war. He was serving as a Warrant Officer Class II (Company Sergeant Major) with the Rifle Brigade, 8th (2nd Battalion the London Rifle Brigade) Battalion when he died on 27 June 1944. He was 38.
Ivan Alexander Weeks joined the staff of the Provident Accident and White Cross Insurance Company in February 1936 as a junior clerk. He was rapidly promoted and was in charge of all motor renewals at the company’s Croydon branch by the outbreak of war. He enlisted in February 1941 and saw service with Coastal Command on Sunderlands. He was transferred to Bomber Command operating over Italy and Africa and on returning to England was posted to the Gliders. He was serving as a Sergeant Air Gunner and Wireless Operator in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 298 Squadron when his aircraft crashed in France on 25 August. He was taken to an American field hospital where he died of his wounds. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission gives his death of death as 26 August although our staff magazine says he died two days after the crash. He was 24.
Anthony Malcolm Wells worked in the Birmingham branch of the Employers’ Liability Assurance Corporation. His father, Harold, was the manager of the Birmingham branch of another Aviva ancestor company, Northern Assurance. Tony, as he was known, was serving as a Telegraphist with the Royal Naval Patrol Service on HM Trawler Lord Wakefield when he was killed in a naval action on 29 July 1944. He was 21.
Harold Stuart Wood worked for the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation in the Engineering Department in the company’s London head office. He was serving as a Signalman in the Royal Signals or the 43rd Reconnaissance Corps when he was reported missing at sea on 24 June 1944. According to the staff magazine, his landing craft was lost on the beaches during the Normandy invasion. He was 19.
Although they are not remembered on the British Normandy Memorial, we also lost Canadian colleagues in the Normandy campaign.
Robert Fleming worked for the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society in the Toronto branch. He joined the company in May 1940 as a junior clerk in the Fire Department. Outside work he was a champion runner and hockey player and also a member of the COTC. He joined the active army on 31 May 1941 and served as a Lieutenant in the Queen’s Own Rifles Reserves. He was killed in Normandy 5 days after D Day when he was 22. He had been married for just one month.
Ronald Burchall Lowther worked in the Toronto branch of the General Accident Fire and Life Assurance Corporation. He was serving as a Private in the Royal Regiment of Canada when he took part in the invasion of Normandy. He died of wounds at Caen on 16 July 1944. He was 34.
