Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester. Thoams Faulkner, World War Two THOMAS FAULKNER THOMAS FAULKNER Capt. East Lancs. Rgt. d.8/10/1943 aged 50 92661 THOMAS FAULKNER was the son of John and Priscilla (née Gorton) Faulkner. He was baptised at Stowell Memorial, Salford, on 16 November 1892 and his parents at that time were living at 18 Lord Byron Street, Weaste. They had been married at St. Mary's, Eccles, on 29 September 1886. Thomas was the husband of Marjorie Faulkner, of Worsley, and was living at 12 Pine Grove, Worsley. His father was living at 3 Grange Avenue, Monton, when he died on 27 June 1934. His effects were left to his widow, Priscilla. Marjorie was Marjorie Fisher, and they married in the 1/4 qtr. 1917 at West Derby. Thomas had 2 sons - John, born in 1923 at Barton; and Robert D. born 1925 at Barton. (Robert) Derek became a highly respected member of the parish church. Thomas died at the Moston Hall Military Hospital, Chester. In his will, he left his estate to his widow, Marjorie. He had enlisted into the Manchester Regiment RA and on his death he was in the infantry branch of the East Lancs. Regt. His name appears in the UK Army Roll of Honour, which is a listing of British Army casualties from World War II. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Evelyn Geoffrey Lord, St Mark's Church Worsley, Manchester, National Archives 2nd Lieutenant Evelyn Geoffrey Lord National Archives Files 1/1 Back

Herbert Toft , World War One , WW1 Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester UK Herbert Toft The National Archives files for Herbert Toft can be accessed at this link - National Archives HERBERT TOFT Lt. 7th East Lancs. Regiment 16906; 3rd Royal Warwicks Regiment and later 821 Sq. RAF d. 12 October 1918 aged 22 Much of what is known about Herbert Toft comes from three newspaper reports about him published before and after his death. MONTON OFFICER ACCIDENTALLY KILLED The death has taken place at Lincoln, as the result of a flying accident, of Lieut. Herbert Toft, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, attached to the Royal Air Force, and second son of Mr. and Mrs. William Toft, 16 Pine Grove, Monton. Lieut. Toft, who was a flying instructor, was in the air as pilot with a pupil on Saturday, when something went wrong with the plane, and the machine nose-dived to earth. He was killed instantly, although his companion escaped almost uninjured. The sad end has created deep regret among a large circle of friends. Lieut. Toft was only 22 years of age, having joined the army in November 1914, before he had reached the military age. He enlisted in the East Lancashire Regiment as a private, and in May of the following year crossed to France. He was given his commission abroad in November 1916, being gazetted to the Royal Warwicks. He took part in much of the fighting last year, and on May 4th was wounded at Bullecourt, his services on that day being recognised by mention in Sir Douglas Haig's despatches. On recovering in this country from the wounds he became attached to the Royal Air Force, and in June last year was given his wings. His progress in the new branch of warfare he had entered upon gained for him the appointment of instructor, which, as stated, has ended in his untimely death. He was educated at the Monton Day School, under Mr. Tyson, and before the war was an engineering apprentice at Messrs. Nasmyth, Wilson and Co., Patricroft. He was a playing member of Monton Lacrosse Club, and a patrol leader in the 2nd Worsley troop of Boy Scouts. The funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon at Worsley Church, a service having previously been held at the Baptist Church, Parrin lane. Several of his fellow officers from Lincoln were present, and a firing party from Heaton Park attended and paid the last military salute. The Boy Scouts were also represented. Lieut. Toft's elder brother, Lieut. Walter Toft is in the Manchester regiment. He enlisted as a private in the Royal Scots in 1914. [Local newspaper] A second article speaks with pride of the commissions given to the two local brothers. MONTON BROTHER OFFICERS Two Monton brothers who enlisted in the Army as privates have recently been granted commissions. They are Walter and Herbert Toft, sons of Mr. and Mrs. W. Toft, 16 Pine Grove, Monton. Both enlisted in November 1914. Walter joined the Royal Scots, and after six month's training in Edinburgh, he went with his regiment to the Dardanelles. He landed in Gallipoli in June 1915, and then took part in several stiff engagements with the Turks. After the evacuation of Gallipoli he went to Egypt and returned to England in August 1916, and after passing through the Cadet School at Newmarket, was gazetted second-lieutenant in the Manchester Territorial Reserve Battalion, and is now with that regiment somewhere in France. Herbert enlisted in the East Lancashire Regiment early in November 1914, and after six months' training on Salisbury Plain, went out to France. Like his brother, he has seen much fighting in different parts of the line. He had not been in France very long before he was raised to the rank of sergeant, though at the time only 19 years of age. He received his commission in November 1916, and was gazetted second-lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and is now in France. Both are members of the Monton Lacrosse Club, and were keen on the Boy Scout movement in their boyhood. [Local newspaper] In the 1901 census, Herbert (aged 3) was living at 90 Parrin Lane, Monton, with his family. His father was William (37), a Tobacconist and Fancy Goods Importer. His wife was Annie (40) and they had two other sons, Walter (6) and William Jnr. (3). By 1911, the family had moved to 16 Pine Grove, Monton. His father was now 48 and his mother 54. The eldest son, Walter, was 16 and at school, and Herbert was 14, an office boy in a Shipping House. William and Annie married in the last quarter of 1893, her maiden name being Dowler. In his will, Herbert was of 16 Pine Grove, Monton. He officially died at Scampton, Lincs., on 12 October 1918 - a 1st Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force. He left his effects of just over £167 to his father William, a commercial traveller. Probate was granted on 6 November. On 13 April 1918, he had been transferred to the newly formed (on 1 April 1918) Royal Air Force, 821st Squadron, 23rd Wing. He may have been born on 22 May 1896 in the Barton District. Although his family had been non-conformist, he was buried in St.Mark's Churchyard. The funeral service had been held at Winton Baptist Church, on Parrin Lane, at 2.30pm. The official church entry reads: Burial: 16 Oct 1918 St Mark, Worsley, Lancashire, England Herbert Toft - Age: 22 years Abode: Northern General Hospital, Lincoln Grave: 22 N.P. Notes: Under Burial Laws Amendment Act Buried by: S.J. Wilson To summarise the information above, Herbert first joined the 7th East Lancashire Regiment with the number 16906. After training, he was posted to France with his regiment, landing there on 18th July 1915. He quickly rose to the rank of acting Sergeant before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant to the 3rd Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 11 November 1916. On 13 April 1918, he was transferred to the newly formed Royal Air Force, but sadly died on 12 October 1918 as a result of a flying accident whilst flying with a pupil. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester. Geoffrey Topham, World War Two Geoffrey Topham GEOFFREY TOPHAM Cpl RAF d.3/12/1941 aged 20 72127 GEOFFREY TOPHAM was the son of Harold Corless Topham and Winifred (née Hyde), of Chorlton- cum-Hardy, Manchester. His birth was registered in Barton district in early 1921. The circumstances of his death are difficult to verify, but it is possible that he may have been flying a Beaufighter I - T4703 - of No.1 OADU (Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit). This aircraft had been reported as a loss for this day, having collided with Beaufighter T4715 on take-off at RAF Portreath, 27 OTU. However, his death was registered at Newcastle under Lyme and this makes the above scenario unlikely. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

Information on the graves located at St. Marks Church Worsley Manchester. John Griffiths, World War Two John Walter Ronald Griffiths JOHN WALTER RONALD GRIFFITHS F/Sgt.RAF d.11 September 1941 aged 20 650725 JOHN WALTER RONALD GRIFFITHS was the son of George Griffiths and of Eva Griffiths (née Upton), of Boothstown. His parents were married at Leigh in 1916 and John was born towards the end of 1920, the eldest of four children. At the start of World War II, he was posted to 102 squadron which was based at RAF Topcliffe in North Yorkshire, near to RAF Linton-on-Ouse. Topcliffe was opened in September 1940 as a bomber station within Bomber Command. From there, 102 Sqn flew the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley heavy bomber, a twin-engined aircraft which was at the forefront of the early bombing raids over Germany. On 15th August 1941, one of the Whitley bombers (serial number Z6746) overshot the runway at Topcliffe on return from operational duties to Hanover at 05.01hrs while landing in poor visibility. The undercarriage collapsed when the aircraft swung out of control and it sustained damage considered serious enough that it had to be written off. All five members of the crew escaped serious injury. It included Sgt. Griffiths who was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. A month later, on 11th September 1941, another Whitley bomber Mark V (serial number Z6870) crashed at 22.50hrs within Topcliffe airfield boundary while the crew were practicing overshooting during a dual-instruction part of a night flying exercise. Three of the crew were killed and two others injured. Whitley Z6870 was taken by 102 Squadron at Topcliffe in July 1941 and remained with them until the accident on 11th September 1941. The aircraft was written off by the Air Ministry as suitable only for scrap as a result of a flying accident (officially Cat.E2/FA). The names of the crew were: Pilot - S/Ldr. Joseph Damien Reardon DFC RAF (43042), aged 26, of Prince Edward Island, Canada. Pilot - Sgt. Harold Edwin Moore RCAF (R/70734), aged 23, of Lawson, Saskatchewan, Canada. Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt. John Walter Ronald Griffiths RAF (650725), aged 20, of Boothstown. Two other crew members, whose names are unknown, were injured. Researched and written by Paul R Speakman Back

St Mark's Church Worsley, Manchester Evening News February 1971 Manchester Evening News 1971 The below article is from the Manchester Evening News on 27th Feburary 1971. Home

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