Born in Warwickshire in 1916, Squadron Leader Barrie Heath was a son of Mr G.R. Heath. He saw active service in 1940 with No. 611 Squadron RA, flying in the Spitfire IIa P7883 “Grahame Heath”, which had been donated by his father in memory of his brother Grahame, who had died in service in the first world war. It was in this Spitfire that Heath fought in the Battle of Britain, for which he received his medal. A memory of him, written on the 611 Squadron website, noted that he…
Category: Honours & Awards
Dr Kenneth Edwin Tapper
Awarded the George Medal Dr. Kenneth E. Tapper, O.B.E, Medical Officer of Health for Bromley, and head of the A.P.R. Casualty Services, has been awarded the George Medal for bravery during air raids. On many occasions he has crawled under wreckage to search for and give treatment to injured casualties pinned down by debris. When people were buried beneath the wreckage of a German aeroplane and two houses, Dr. Tapper gave medical aid to the victims while large unexploded bombs were removed. He has shown great gallantry in his efforts…
Flying Officer Peter E.A. Loat
The Battle of Cape Matapan was a Second War engagement between British Imperial and Axis forces, fought from 27–29 March 1941. The cape is on the south-west coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula of Greece. Following the interception of Italian signals by the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park ships of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, under the command of the Royal Navy’s Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, intercepted and sank or severely damaged several ships of the Italian Regia Marina under Squadron-Vice-Admiral Angelo Iachino. The opening…
Matron Marion Edith Bolton
Mottingham George Medallist Mrs Marion Edith Bolton, matron of the Sir Robert Jeffery’s Homes, Mottingham, received from the King, as a recent investiture at Buckingham Palace, the George Medal which she was awarded for her bravery in rescuing two aged women from a fire at the Homes caused by enemy action. Mrs Bolton was accompanied by her father and sister. Her son is serving in the Middle East with the R.A.F. Source: Bromley & District Times, 8th August, 1941 (pg 6)
Lieu. (E.W.) Kevin Walton
Eric William Kevin Walton, known as Kevin Walton, was an officer in the Royal Navy during World War II. Born in Kobe in Japan on 15 May 1918, Lieu Walton was the son of William Heward Murray Walton, a clergyman and missionary, and his wife Myra (née Hebbert), whose family had served for four generations in the Indian Civil Service. Walton joined the Royal Navy as an engineer officer at the start of World War II, and took part in various naval actions during the first five years. Walton later…