Broadstone

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Burials at Broadstone Cemetery
Research by Richard Smith into the lives and deaths of the CWGC War Casualties buried in Broadstone (Poole).

CWGC Burials at Broadstone (Poole) Cemetery

Also see the Broadstone War Memorial records for World War One and World War Two

COBBETT Dr. Charles Newberry M.D. Captain Royal Army Medical Corps

Born in Southgate, London on 22nd January 1861 son of Dr. Robert Newberry Cobbett M.D. a General Practitioner who died in 1881, and his wife Louisa
Laura Slark. He qualified as a Batchelor of Medicine in 1883, before on 3rd April 1884 at Richmond, Surrey he married Katherine Emily Stonehewer Bird.
He then qualified at Edinburgh as a Doctor of Medicine in 1890, but it seems from Medical Registers that from 1884 to 1890 he was living in
Auckland, New Zealand. The family in 1891 lived in Hampstead, London where Charles worked as a General Practitioner until 1908, but from then until
1915 Medical Registers show they were living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Charles was visiting his mother in Bournemouth in the 1901 census, then
returned to UK on S.S. St. Louis into Liverpool on 20th June 1915 from New York. Charles died at Dummer House, Broadstone on 7th October 1919, cause
of death not found. His widow had returned to the UK but sailed back to Canada on 22nd March 1920, and died there in 1948.

WYLDBORE-SMITH Hugh Francis Captain (Retired) Royal Navy

Born 1869 - died 8th May 1919. See No. 52 on the War Memorial record for full personal details. He enlisted as a boy sailor on 15th July 1882, and
then appointed a Sub Lt. 14.3. 1889, then Lt. on 1 April 1892, Commander on 16 January 1912, and finally Captain (retired list) on 20th April 1917.
Naval records say that he died at home at Broadmayne of unspecified disease aggravated by active war service. His probate to his widow Kate on 28th
August 1919 was for £1778 19s 11d. His son Lt. Cdr. Hugh Deane Wyldbore-Smith born February 1907 was Signals Officer on the battlecruiser
HMS Hood when she was blown up by Bismarck on 24th May 1941, with the loss of most of the crew.

Deaths during World War Two

ANDREASEN Carl Christian Private No. 5729360 5th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment

Born in 1917 and died on 21st November 1942. See No. 53 on the War Memorial records for full personal details. Army records show that he died in an
Unspecified Accident. Although his burial record suggests he died at Broadstone, his death was registered at Thanet, Kent.

BASCOMBE Raymond John Sapper No. 1902170 695 Company Royal Engineers

Is No. 54 on the War Memorial record, but is not listed by CWGC. He was born at Corfe Castle on 24th November 1919 son of Alfred William Bascombe
and his wife Dorothy Winifred May Batter. In 1921 the family were living at "Heathdale" Church Road, Broadstone, but by September 1939 had moved to
"Rampstone" Blandford Road, Poole. Alfred was working as a lathe operator/ engineer and as a Special Constable, Raymond as a bricklayer. Army records
show Raymond initially listed as "Missing" with 662 Company, corrected later to having been "Killed in Action" on 25th May 1940 with 695 Company.
He was aged 20 and is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial, Pas-de Calais, France column 23.

BOUGH Leslie Michael John Driver / Sapper No. 2007914 Royal Engineers

Born February 1918 died 11th August 1940. See No 56 on War Memorial records for more personal details. In September 1939 the family were living at No.
7, Waterloo, Canford Magna, Dorset, where his father Richard worked as a gardener and Leslie aged 21 as a market porter. Army records just list him
as having "Died" and no further records found about the circumstances, his death was registered at Basingstoke, Hampshire.

DAVIES Digby Gwilym St. John Sergeant No. 1334007 90 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Born in Brecon, Breconshire, Wales on 13th October 1923 he is No. 60 on the War Memorial records. He was the son of Dr. Gwilym Charles Montague Davies
M.C., L.R.C.S. and his wife Evelyn Mary Jones. His father had won a Military Cross for bravery serving as a Lieutenant (later Captain) in the
Royal Army Medical Corps in France. Finding in a village under enemy fire that the field ambulance had withdrawn he set up and ran a dressing station
saving soldiers lives. He later served in the Colonial Medical Service, and I suspect that he married Elspeth whilst abroad. They lived at "Kumasi" 6
Springfield Road, Broadstone. Digby aged 19 was the air gunner on a Stirling bomber flying from RAF Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire on 9th
October 1943 which crashed at Rhade, 25 miles north east of their target Bremen, Germany. He was buried in Hamburg cemetery grave No. 10A. E. 1-6.

HAWKINS Leo Henry Sergeant No. 1187280 218 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Born in Fareham, Hampshire on 29th March 1915. he is No 63 on the War Memorial records. He was son of William Henry Dore Hawkins, a certified
accountant, and his wife Lillian Ellen Rose Love. They lived at "Briar Cottage" 28 Cambridge Road, Lee on Solent, Hampshire. Leo's connection to Poole -
he was a school master at Broadstone First School in September 1939. On 5th October 1942 he was the navigator for a crew of a Stirling bomber setting
off on a raid on Aachen, Germany from RAF Downham Market, Norfolk when it crashed in very bad weather at Icklington Marshes, Barton Mills, Suffolk.
He was buried in Rowner (St. Mary's) churchyard at Gosport, Hampshire.

LITTLE Evelyn Doris Willes First Officer HMS Boscawen Women's Royal Naval Service

Born in North Holmwood, Dorking, Surrey on 13th July 1895 (note her burial record quotes the date of her baptism 29th September 1895). Daughter of
John Francis Willes Little, in 1911 a retired school teacher and principal of a private school, and his wife Eliza Margaret Little who had married at
Worle, Somerset in February 1892. In 1921 the family was living at "Elmhurst" Petitor Road, St. Marychurch, Torquay, Devon, where Evelyn was
involved in Home Duties and as a Girl Guider. The family were still there in September 1939, Evelyn was working as a part time chauffeur. I do not
know when she joined with the WRNS but is listed as promoted from Acting Petty Officer to Acting 3rd Officer on 15 Nov 1942, and to Acting 2nd
Officer on 29 Nov 1943. She was unmarried when she died at Broadstone on 6th November 1946 and was buried in grave No. B. 698. Evelyn apparently
died of (non-specified) disease. Her probate to her sister Margaret Marion Wright Little on 1st February 1947 was for £4008 16s. 4d, giving
her address as "Rivington" Broadstone.

McLENNAN William Bernard Private No. H/10153 Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada R.C.I.C.

Born in Winnipegosis, Manitoba, Canada on 15th February 1924, William is No. 68 on the War Memorial records. He was son of Neil McLennan, a crane
man, and his wife Barbara Meston who had married in Manitoba in 1906. He had been serving in "C" Company, Winnipeg Grenadiers from September 1942
to June 1943 when he enlisted at Winnipeg on 2nd June 1943, when working as a fisherman. He was wounded serving in France and killed in action on
13th September 1944, aged 20. He was buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Belgium grave No. V. F. 4. His father Neil was born in Canada in
1869, but I failed to find a link back to Broadstone.

MYLES Frank William John Aircraftman 2nd Class Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Born 1911 died 31st January 1941. See No. 71 on War Memorial records for full family details. Son of Frank Edward Myles and Lilian Elizabeth
Churchill. In September 1939 he was living at Blandford Road, Poole with his widowed mother and was listed as a professional golfer - his father had
died in June 1938. He was serving in 1941 with Bomber Command at RAF Wattisham, Suffolk which on the 31st January 1941 suffered damage from an
air raid from German bombers, and it seems he died as a result of that raid. He was buried on 6th February.

PEACH Marcus Harold Signalman No. D/JX 179935 Royal Navy

Born in 1901 and died on 18th March 1945 - see No. 73 on War Memorials records for more family details. He originally enlisted in the Royal Navy
on 3rd September 1917 under service No. J77503, and served until 4th September 1928. Marcus married Violet Elizabeth Ellen Gillingham at Poole
in July 1933. In September 1939 he was living with his wife Violet at "Iralyn" Oakdale Road, Poole and was working for Poole Corporation before
he re -enlisted on 2nd January 1940. He died at home in Poole but I found nothing about a cause of death. He was buried on March 21st. There is a
delayed probate for him issued 30th March 1962 for £108 4s.

STRANGE James Walter Tom Ordinary Seaman No. JX/ 171240 Royal Navy H/Q Skegness

Born in 1917 died on 31st December 1939. In September 1939 he was living with his family at No. 1 Creekmoor, Poole, whilst working aged 22 as a
colour mixer at a local tile works. He died of pneumonia at Cornelia and East Dorset Hospital, Poole.

24 April 2025

Richard Smith

orchidgrower@btinternet.com

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