The Second World War

Second World War Dead

The Royal Air Force

George Alfred Dane – Flight Sergeant, 149 Squadron
William Leonard Heavisides – Flight Sergeant, 3 OTU
Anthony Hugh Denison Reffell – Pilot Officer, 3 OTU
Albert William Reffles – Flight Sergeant, 158 Squadron
Robert Frank Spencer-Schrader – Flight Officer, 3 OTU

The Royal Navy

Robin Pendennis Alexander – Sub-Lieutenant, 836 Squadron FAA
Arthur John Kerby – Petty Officer Steward, HMS Illustrious
Harry Arthur Stacey – Lieutenant, HMS Submarine Swordfish

The British Army

Heather Cosens – Corporal, Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service
William Harry Rattle – Private, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Bertie Charles Tacchi – Private, Royal Artillery

The Merchant Navy

Richard Brown – Fireman, SS Hamla
James Nicholas Reffell – Greaser, SS Lagosian

The United States Army Air Force

Frederick C Masset – Sergeant, 345 Squadron

Royal Australian Air Force

William Frederick Harvey Rattle – Flying Officer, 622 Squadron

The Australian Army

Albert Farnham Jones – Driver, 2/3rd Motor Ambulance Company

British Civilian War Dead

Alice Jane Rattle

Second World War Awards

Most personnel records relating to people who served in the Second World War are yet to be released for public view. Therefore there must be many of those who served who have yet to be given general recognition for their deeds. The following members of the family took part in the Second World War and are known to have been given military awards.

The Military Medal

John Arthur Reffell – 145422 Sergeant, Royal Regiment of Artillery, Tebaga Zemlet, Algeria. Gazetted: 15 May 1943.

The American Bronze Star

John Reffelle Spencer – 113260 Lieutenant Colonel. Citation: ‘For meritous service from 1 March 1944 to 8 May 1945. Lt Col Spencer rendered conspicuous service to the United States by assisting US agencies in the coordination of overseas shipments of petroleum supplies from the UK to US Forces in Northern Europe participating in the war with Germany. His devotion to duty and sympathetic dealings with the problems arising in connection with this work contributed materially to the successful supply of petroleum products to the Allied Forces in Northern Europe.’