Recent research has indicated that the names of at least 20 people who were Killed In Action or Died On Active Service during World War II have been omitted from the Tenby War Memorial.

The Tenby Town Council has approved a Project to research and positively identify as many of these persons as possible with a view to adding their names to the War Memorial to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day in 2018.

Currently information is sought in respect of the following:

Lilian Thomas

Lilian Thomas is commemorated on the Tenby Council School War Memorial but no further details have been found.

Kathleen Nora Thomas

Thought to have been born in Tenby circa 1912 and married Pilot Officer Gerald Frederick Shaw in 1939 - latter killed in Jan 1941.

Nicholas Webster-Smith, Corporal, Royal Military Police

Nicholas Webster-Smith attended the Sixth Form at Greenhill School but the precise dates he attended and his home address for this period are unknown.

Additions to War Memorial

The following persons have been identified as meeting the criteria for inclusion on the War Memorial.

ALLIES, William Donald

Flight Lieutenant

Royal Air Force

William Donald Allies was born circa 1915, the son of William Kenneth and Marjorie Allies, and in 1939 married Kathleen Marjorie Harman, of Tenby. Allies served with 214 Squadron, Royal Air Force and was presumed killed when his Boeing Flying Fortress was lost at sea on March 22, 1945.

SHAND, William Peter DFC

Wing Commander

Royal Air Force

William Peter Shand was born circa 1916, the son of William and Josephine Shand. He graduated from Cranwell in 1936 and in August 1942 he became Commanding Officer of 139 (Jamaica) Squadron which was an elite unit flying Mosquitoes out of RAF Marham in Norfolk. He was shot down and killed over Ijssellmeer, The Netherlands on April 20, 1943.

His Record of Service, at the time of his death, shows his home address as being St. Philomena’s Caldey Island, which is also recorded as the address of his next of kin, his mother. William Shand Snr. was born (1878) and died (1951) in Pembrokeshire and in 1939 was registered as living on Caldey Island.

ESHELBY John Theodore

Pilot Officer

Royal Air Force

John Eshelby, born circa 1909, was the son of Edgar and Alma Bolton. He was serving as Pilot Officer (Flt Engr) when he was killed in a crash at Alnes in Scotland on January 3, 1945. He was buried in a Commonwealth War Grave (CWG) in Tenby Cemetery. In 1940 he married Yvonne Thierry, daughter of Mario Thierry the long time proprietor of the Imperial Hotel, Tenby.

WEIGHT Margaret Holiday

Aircraftswoman

Women’s Royal Air Force

Margaret Weight was born circa 1917 at Penarth, the younger daughter of Harry Ewart Weight and Olive Margaret Weight, and the younger sister of Barbara Fisher née Weight. Margaret Weight died on active service on September 15, 1942 in Scotland and was buried in a CWG in Penarth Cemetery.

Although the original family home was in Penarth the Weight family lived much of the time in Tenby where Harry Weight was proprietor of the Royal Playhouse Cinema and of the Royal Gatehouse Hotel for several decades.

BLOCH, Raymond

Sgt. Major

Belgian Army

Raymond Bloch was born in Belgium in 1904 and after joining the Belgian Army arrived in the United Kingdom via Dunkirk in May 1940. Whilst serving in Tenby he met and married Kathleen James, the daughter of William and Lily James, of Berlin House, Upper Frog Street, Tenby. Bloch was killed in an air raid on London in 1944.

PALMER, Samuel Oliver Alec

Com Sgt. Major

Lancashire Fusiliers

Samuel Palmer was born on January 27, 1910 in Romford, Essex. In 1933, whilst serving at Penally camp, he met and married Kathleen Barbara Clark, daughter of Robert C. Clark and Elizabeth Clark, of Laston House, Castle Square, Tenby. Palmer was a well-known athlete and in 1939 held the BAA record for the six miles.

In 1943 he was serving with the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers in the Far East attached to the 77th Brigade (Chindits). He was Killed In Action during the assault on Moguang and was buried in a CWG at Taukkyan War Cemetery.

GEORGE, Edward Thomas

Chaplain Corps

Edward Thomas George was born in 1895 in Treorchy, the son of John and Hannah George. He was educated at University College, Cardiff and Memorial College, Brecon and served with the Royal Flying Corps in World War I.

In 1925 he became Chaplin to the United Boards Troop in Pembroke Dock and in 1927 he married Helen Mary Sandercock, daughter of George Hendy Sandercock (mayor of Tenby in 1923) and Janet Abra Sandercock.

On the outbreak of World War II he became Chaplain to the 22nd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers Regiment. One day he accompanied the troops on a long route march and on returning to his quarters died of exhaustion. He was buried in CWG in Tenby Cemetery.

ADAMS, John Stephen

Lieutenant

Royal Navy

John Stephen Adams was born in Tenby 1912, the son of John L Adams and Hermione Caroline Adams, of Rosemount, Heywood Lane, Tenby. On the outbreak of War he joined the RNVR and was serving as Captain of A/S Trawler Stella Capella which was torpedoed south of Iceland with the loss of all hands.

DUNNE, Patrick Lewis

Petty Officer

Royal Navy

Patrick Lewis Dunne was born in Tenby in 1908 to Patrick and Mary Dunne of 2, Hamilton Terrace, Upper Park Road, Tenby. In 1940 he married Doris Myrtle Thompson on the Isle of Wight. He was lost when HMS Hood was sunk in May 1940. He is commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Would anyone who has any comment or objection to these names being added to the War Memorial please contact Andrew Davies, Town Clerk (01834 842730) or John Griffiths (01834 842033).