Lest we forget
Club history 2 of 2

2. Lest we forget


The memorial tablet located in the ‘Pat Connolly’ bar commemorates those members of the club who lost their lives during World War II. The tablet shows that ‘The trees on the East Side of the ground were planted as a permanent memorial’.

Details of those whose names are on the Memorial are shown below. This information has been researched by Barry Atkinson and is from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission "Debt of Honour Register". Additional information on the units are from appropriate websites.

BUCKNELL, DAVID ARTHUR, Civilian. Died 25/11/1944 aged 24. Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority: HAMPSTEAD, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH.
A.R.P. Messenger; of 61 King Henry's Road.
Son of Councillor Arthur and Dora Isabel Bucknell. Died at 61 King Henry's Road.

CLUNES, DOUGLAS IAN, Flight Sergeant, 1268272. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 12/02/1943 aged 22. Grave reference I. K. 19, CATANIA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
Son of John Herman and Bertha Clunes, of Mill Hill, Middlesex.
Unit: 23 Squadron.
The Squadron converted to Mosquito IIs in July 1942 and moved to Luqa, Malta in December of that year, from whence the long-range intruder missions were flown to targets in Sicily, Italy, Tunisia and southern France.

GABRIEL, D. No entry in the CWG Register with an initial ‘D’. None of those in the register with this surname can be identified with Finchley RFC

GEDDES, IAN KINNEAR, Lieutenant, 186139. Died 12/11/1942 aged 26. East Surrey Regiment. Grave reference 3. H. 1 in DELY IBRAHIM WAR CEMETERY, ALGERIA.
Son of William and Christina Geddes; husband of Kathleen Eleanor Gordyn Geddes, of Oxshott, Surrey.
Unit: 1st. Battalion. The battle honours of the 1st. Battalion includes ‘Tunis, Montarnaud, North Africa 1942-43’

HARRIS, CHARLES LEONARD ASTON, Sergeant, 7890148. Died 13/07/1943 aged 23. Royal Armoured Corps. Grave reference VIII. F. 2 in SYRACUSE WAR CEMETERY, SICILY.
Son of Leonard Douglas Harris and Edith Sybil Harris, of North Finchley, Middlesex.
Unit: "A" Sqn. 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters). The regiment stayed in and around Cairo training unit July 1943 when they embarked landing on Sicily on 10th July as part of 4th Armoured Brigade, fighting their way across the island.

KELLY, DESMOND HENRY RUSSELL, Flight Sergeant, 701907. Died 23/06/1943 aged 25. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Grave reference Plot 2, Row C, Grave 12 in BERGEN GENERAL CEMETERY.
Flight Sergeant (Navigator).
Son of Samuel O'Dowd Russell Kelly, and of Florence Edith Kelly, of Brighton, Sussex.
Unit: 77 Squadron. The squadron began to convert to Halifax’s in October 1942, and was ready in plenty of time for the Battle of the Ruhr, which opened in the following spring. It continued with Halifax’s for the rest of the European war and, in addition to playing a prominent part in the bomber offensive participated in Bomber Command's highly successful Gardening, or minelaying, campaign.

KING, EDWARD, Captain, 105695. Died 21/04/1943 aged 30. Royal Artillery. Plot 5A,11 in MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY, TUNISIA. (Probable identification from parental home from 97 with the same name and single initial).
Son of Francis Edward and Evelyn King, of Golders' Green, Middlesex. Chartered Accountant. Unit: 152 (The Ayrshire Yeomanry) Field Regt. The 152nd was attached to the 6th Armoured Division in mid-1942, and moved with the division to North Africa that November. It remained with the division through the remainder of the war, fighting in the Tunisia Campaign.

LEAN, GEOFFREY WILLIAM, Pilot Officer, 131903. Died 23/01/1943 age 30. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave reference Sec. C. Grave 210 in BRIDGWATER (QUANTOCK ROAD) CEMETERY.
Pilot Officer (Navigator).
Son of Frederick Charles Lean, and of Grace Rebecca Lean, of St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex. No squadron details.

MACNAB, DONALD NORMAN Sergeant, 921364. Died 11/02/1942 age unknown. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Memorial reference Panel 89 on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL.
No family details.
Unit: 150 Sqdn. At the start of the Second World War No.150 Squadron moved to France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force. Like the other Battle squadrons in the AASF No.150, suffered heavy losses during the German invasion of France in May 1940, and had to evacuate back to Britain in mid-June. In October 1940, the squadron converted to the Vickers Wellington, and became a night bomber squadron, at first with Bomber Command in Britain, before moving to Algeria in December 1942.

MELVILLE, ANDREW MCDOUGALL, Pilot Officer 82707. Died 27/02/1941 age unknown. Royal Air Force. Grave reference Section N. Cons, Grave 417 in CHESHAM BURIAL GROUND. Pilot Officer (Pilot/Navigator).
No family details.
Unit: 83 squadron. Its bombing missions did not begin until 20 April 1940, after the German invasion of Norway. It retained the Handley Page Hampden Mark I for 2 years. From 14 March 1938 to15 August 1942, it was located at RAF Scampton.

MICHEL, WILSON JOHN, Lieutenant 174799. Died 06/08/1943 age unknown. Royal Artillery. Memorial reference Panel 2, Column 2 # 104 BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL.
No family or unit details.

MOULD, EDWARD ANTHONY Flying Officer 67599. Died 20/01/1943 age26. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Grave reference 24. C. 14 BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY
Son of Percy and Margery Vere Mould, of Mill Hill, Middlesex.
Unit: 85 squadron converted to the de Havilland Mosquito NF Mk II in August 1942, but it would not gain its first night victory until 17/18 January 1943.

SHAW, WILFRED DUDLEY Leading Aircraftman 192605. Died 29/10/1940 aged 20. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Grave reference ‘Near West end’ in STANTON ST. QUINTIN (ST. GILES) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, WILTSHIRE. Leading Aircraftman (Pilot Under Training).
Son of William Wilfrid and Winifred Shaw, of North Finchley, Middlesex.