Whellams

The following four Whellams men lost their lives in the service of their King and Country during the Second World War:

Albert George Whellams

C/JX 351082 Leading Seaman, HMS Fabius

Aged 21

Died 30^th June 1945

Son of Robert James and Violet L Whellams

Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, ref 81,1

 

 

Reginald Alfred Whellams

1333520 Sergeant (Air Gunner), 100 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Aged 20

Died 21^st April 1943

Son of John Edward and Annie Maria Whellams of Walthamstow, Essex

Buried at Lemvig Cemetery, Denmark; grave 703A

 

The following information is adapted from: http://www.flensted.eu.com/19430040.shtml

 

Lancaster ED709 crashed Ringkøbing Fjord 21/4 1943.

The aircraft belonged to RAF 100 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded HW-S.
T/o 21:59 Grimsby. Op: Stettin.

On the return flight from Stettin ED709 approached Ringkøbing from the east and was hit by flak from II Zug 3/742 based in Ringkøbing.
The Lancaster continued its flight towards Holmlands Klit from where it turned back towards Ringkøbing. At 03:28 hours it crashed in the Ringkøbing Fjord approx. 1000 metres from the harbour. A fire started which made it impossible to get near the crash site. When the fire was extinguished a search for survivors started, and after an hour the body of a flyer that the Wehrmacht identified as Navigator F/Lt. Bernhard F. Myers RAAF was found. He was laid to rest in Lemvig cemetery on 24th April 1943.

On 22nd May a flyer was found in Ringkøbing Fjord near the boundary of Velling and Stauning parish. He was laid to rest in grave 705 in Lemvig cemetery on 28th May 1943 without being identified.

The body of Air Bomber P/O Cyril E. Wellard was found in the Fjord near Velling church on 31st May and was laid to rest in Lemvig cemetery on 4th June-1943.

On 21st June 1943 the body of an unidentified flyer was found in the Fjord near Klovmosehus in Velling parish. He was laid to rest in grave 710 in Lemvig cemetery on 26th June 1943.

The body of the pilot Wing Cdr. James G. W. Swain M.i.D. was found in the Fjord near Velling on 22nd September and was laid to rest in Fovrfelt cemetery in Esbjerg on 27th September 1943.

In 1998 the remains of rear gunner Sgt Reginald A. Whellams were found and he was laid to rest in Lemvig cemetery on 18th September 1998.

A team of Danes known as “The Denmark team” had for years been collecting evidence to be able to convince ”The Commenwealth War Graves Commision” of the identity of the two unknown flyers. On the day of Whellams burial the headstones over the two unknown flyers were changed to “Believed to be” Flt. Engr. Sgt. Thomas Carter in grave 705 and W/Op-Air Gnr. Sgt. Roland S. Sidwell in grave 710.
 
The mid upper gunner F/Sgt Marcel A.B. Watkins RAAF has no known grave and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Richard George Stanley Whellams

CH/X105709 Marine, Royal Marines

Aged 23

Died 18^th June 1945

Son of Richard and Elizabeth Whellams, of Homerton, London.

Buried at Manor Park Cemetery, Screen Wall. Sec 147. Grave 20

 

 

William Edward Whellams

Civilan War Dead

Aged 36

Died 21^st February 1941

Police Constable; of 79 Sumatra Road, West Hampstead. Husband of Jean Whellams. Died at Brent View Road.

 

Killed by a bomb explosion while on duty during an enemy air raid at Hendon.