This page has two items, firstly the WW2 Roll of Honour for the Village and secondly transcribed extracts from Chaldon Association Minute Book 1938-53 referring to Wartime and Memorial Plans. See also the post Chaldon in 1945 on the home page here.
Chaldon Roll of Honour 1939-1945
BALL, Malcolm John (DSC)
Sub-Lieutenant H.M.M.T.B. 218 Royal Navy Reserve
Died 18th August 1942
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial
Age 20, the son of James and Mabel Louise Ball (nee Laver) of Chester. Also lived at Glebe House, Chaldon. Received the DSC for services at Dunkirk.
BENNETT, Peter Luddington
Sub-Lieutenant (E) H.M.S. Repulse Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Died 10th December 1941
Commemorated at Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Age 24, the son of Edward P. and Sarah Thirwell Bennett (nee Luddington) B.A. (Cantab.) who lived at ‘Broomwood’, Doctors Lane, Chaldon 1942 – 1945.
DANE, Frank Albert
Sub Lieutenant (A) 801 Sqdn Fleet Air Arm H.M.S. Implacable Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Died 2nd March 1929th June 1945
Commemorated at Lee-on-Solent Memorial.
Age 21, the son of Frank Clement Dane and Letitia Margaret Dane (nee Green) of “Molgwen”, The Heath, Chaldon, Surrey. Educated at The Dene, Caterham and Whitgift School, Croydon. Passed Preliminary Examination of the Institute of Surveyors.
Brother of Margaret Edith, born Romford 1916.
EAMES, Edwin Laurence
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) 150244, 100 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 22nd May 1944
Commemorated at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Age 27, the son of Egbert Thomas Eames and Marguerite Eames (nee Mortashead) and husband of Estera Edita Eames (nee Blankiet) of Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.A.
He lived in Mount Avenue, Chaldon.
HARMAN, John Pennington (VC)
Lance Corporal 295822, 4th Bn. Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Died 9th April 1944
Commemorated at Kohima War Cemetery, India.
Age 29, the son of Martin Coles Harman and Amy Ruth Harman (nee Bodger) of City of London. Born 20th July 1914, baptized 12th September 1914 at St Mary’s Church, Caterham.
Lived at Dean’s Place, Chaldon 1919 – 1924.
Brother of:
Diana Pennington, born 19th October 1922, baptized 12th November 1922 at St Peter & St Paul Church, Chaldon
Ruth Pennington, born 1919, baptized 22nd June 1919 at St Peter & St Paul Church, Chaldon
The London Gazette June 20th 1944:
At Kohima, Assam, on 8th April 1944, Lance Corporal Harman was commanding a section of a forward platoon. The enemy had established a machine gun post within 50 yards of his position which became a serious menace to the remainder of his company. Unable to bring the fire of his section on to the post, Lance Corporal Harman went forward by himself and annihilated the post, returning with the enemy machine gun. The next morning, having first recovered a forward position, he again charged and enemy post alone, shooting four and bayoneting one, thereby wiping out the post. As he returned Lance Corporal Harman received a burst of machine gun fire in his side and died shortly after reaching our lines. Lance Corporal Harman’s heroic action and supreme devotion to duty were largely responsible for the decisive way in which all attacks were driven off by his company.
HOARE, David Allen Downer
Sgt 956948 105 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 15th August 1941
Commemorated at Malta Memorial.
Age 23, the son of E.J. Downer Hoare and Faith W. Hoare (nee Needham) of Coulsdon, Surrey. He attended Chaldon Church.
KEARSLEY, Bernard Thomas
Sergeant (Obs) 924343, 40 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 29th August 1941
Commemorated at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Age 24, the husband of Iris Kearsley (nee Rosenthal), married 1940.
Lived at “The Warren”, Church Lane, Chaldon.
Children: Diana, born Cheltenham, December 1941.
KING, Graham John
Leading Aircraftman (Pilot U/T) 1332945, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 31st December 1941
Commemorated at Kidlington Burial Ground.
Age 19, the son of John and Daisy King (nee Slade) of Devonport.
Lived at Uplands Farm, Chaldon
LAYARD, Brownlow Villiers
Sub-Lieutenant (S) HMS Gloucester, Royal Navy
Died 8th July 1940
Commemorated at Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Age 22, the son of Captain Brownlow Villiers Layard, D.S.O., R.N., and Daisy Joyce Layard (nee Sayer).
Lived at “Meadowcroft”, Rook Lane, Chaldon
MORAN, Patrick Edward
Sergeant 2719817, 3rd Bn. Irish Guards
Died 2nd January 1945
Commemorated at Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium.
Age 24, the son of Charles and Nora Moran (nee Morse).
Husband of Kathleen Mary Moran (nee Whittaker), married 1941
Lived at 17 Chaldon Common Road, Chaldon.
Children: Michael, born 1945.
MOULD, Thomas Richard
Trooper 6087956, 56th Reconnaissance Corps, North Irish Horse Royal Armoured Corps
Died 22nd February 1946
Commemorated at Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany.
Age 24, the son of Thomas and Jane Mould (nee Collins).
Husband of Kathleen Mould (nee Allen) of Tinsley Green, Sussex.
Lived at “High Standing”, Chaldon Common Road, Chaldon.
The Church Memorial Register states that Thomas Mould was killed in a traffic accident in Dusseldorf.
PAYNE, Sydney William
Warrant Officer (Pilot) 1083964, 12 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 4th May 1944
Commemorated at Poivres Churchyard, France.
Age 23, the son of Edward William and Ida Annie Elizabeth Payne (nee Rose) of Kingsteignton, Devon.
Lived at “Lavender House”, Chaldon Common Road, Chaldon, Surrey
THOMSON, Douglas Lindsay
Flight Lieutenant (Air Bomber) 160040, 61 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 3rd October 1943
Commemorated at Hanover War Cemetery, Germany.
Age 23, the son of Douglas Charles and Elizabeth Clarke Lindsay Young Thomson (nee Henderson) of “Meadowcroft”, Rook Lane, Chaldon.
WESTON, Jack
Sergeant 921146, 39 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 17th May 1942
Commemorated at Tobruk War Cemetery, Libya.
Age 23, the son of Percival Gover Weston and Edith May Weston (nee Godfrey) of South Croydon, Surrey.
Husband of Rebecca Weston (nee Patrick), married 1941.
Lived at The Bungalow, Doctors Lane, Chaldon.
WHITE, Brian Granville
Captain 45th R.M. Commando Royal Marines
Died 20th August 1944
Commemorated at Ranville War Cemetery, France.
Age 28, the son of Augustus Granville White and Agnes G. White (nee Ince) of Hilltop House, Chaldon, Surrey.
Captain White married Theo Hallam Swift (age 25) on 29th June 1940 at St Peter & St Paul Church, Chaldon. Both were living in Chaldon at the time of their marriage.
WYATT, George Michael
Flying Officer (Pilot) 40453, 61 Sqdn Royal Air Force
Died 30th June 1940
Commemorated at Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany.
Age 21, the son of George Matthew and Amy Rowena Wyatt (nee Stutfield) of “Brackenhurst”, The Heath, Chaldon 1919 – 1932.
Husband of Kathleen Margaret Wyatt (nee Lewis) of Helsby, Cheshire, married 1940.
Liz Bonsall
March 2020
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Transcripted extracts from Chaldon Association Minute Book 1938-53 referring to Wartime and Memorial Plans
Minutes of the Sixth AGM April 28th 1939 at Chaldon Village Hall
Recruits urgently required:
At the close of the meeting, Lt Col. Gibson, speaking on behalf of Col. B.L. Evans, DL, who, as a Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey, had been placed in charge of Territorial recruiting in this area of Surrey, asked members to make it widely known that recruits for the 4th Battalion “The Queen’s” Royal Regiment and the R.A.S.C. were urgently required. Inquiries as to the former should be made at the local Company Headquarters and as to the latter in Croydon.
Minutes of General Meeting 17th May 1939 at Chaldon Village Hall
National Service:
A letter from the Clerk of Caterham Council was read. The Chairman of the Council had been asked by the Chairman of the Surrey County Council to form a committee to undertake the in the district a canvassing and publicity campaign for National Service. The Association was invited to nominate a person to serve on the committee.
It was generally felt that a nomination should be made but that canvassing should not be made in Chaldon as almost every household in Chaldon had provided one or more volunteers. On the proposition of Mr Head, seconded by Miss Marshall, it was resolved that Mr A.D. Johnson should be nominated to serve.
Minutes of General Committee 16th May 1940
Resolved that General Meeting to be held in September unless anything of local importance occurred warranting the summoning of a meeting at an earlier date.
A sudden influx of Allied Refugees might be deemed a reason for calling such a meeting as it was the feeling of the committee that the Association could be useful in arranging something for the additional comfort and entertainment of such refugees.
Minutes of General Committee 19th July 1940
Chaldon A.R.P.
Mr A W Hoad stated that several residents had expressed great dissatisfaction with the present A.R.P. arrangements. There were no paid wardens in Chaldon and during the daytime the duties were done by a few public spirited voluntary wardens.
Miss Marshall explained that the discharge of paid wardens was by order of the Home Office and that the Council, although very sympathetic to the views of the residents, was not responsible for the drastic change. Miss Marshall expressed the opinion that a letter from the Association would be of great assistance to the Council in the efforts which were being made to obtain Home Office permission for the re-instatement of a number of the paid wardens.
The Secretary was instructed to write to the Chairman of the Council A.R.P. Committee and to stress the following points:
1. In the daytime a large majority of the men living in Chaldon are out of the district.
2. The Committee understands that during an air raid private telephone lines cannot be used and that any call for A.R.P. assistance (fire brigade, first aid, rescue squad, etc.) can only be made through an A.R.P. service phone. In view of the fact that there are now no full-time wardens will posts D1 and D2 be available for calls? It should be borne in mind that no air raid warnings will be given for lone raiders and that the voluntary wardens may not be at their posts. Would it not be a good plan to place the key of the post in a glass covered case by the post for use in an emergency?
3. Householders at the moment have no information as to what to do in order to obtain the help of any of the A.R.P. services. A circular to households from the local Council explaining these points would be very useful.
Minutes of General Committee 5th August 1940
Meeting convened to discuss response re A.R.P. the letter sent had unfortunately conveyed the impression that the Association was somewhat ignorant of Civil Defence. Mr Johnson was to attend a meeting at Council Offices and needed the following:
1. Total membership of the Association and evidence that it really is representative of any considerable body of opinion of some 1000 residents in the area.
2. Evidence and example of Association’s work and its active support and interest on behalf of Civil Defence for Chaldon during the past four years in which a large number of residents have been trained – held meetings and endeavoured to make such arrangements as higher authority recommended.
3. Reasons why the Association did not, in the first instance, utilise the Council’s localised arrangement for the supplying of information and transaction of business in affairs of Civil Defence.
Mr Johnson to put the following information forward:
1. Total membership – 139 persons representing 103 houses in area of old parish of Chaldon. The Association unable to accept membership of residents outside that area (430 out of 1000). The Association is the largest non-political body in Chaldon.
2. In January 1937 the Association, following upon the original A.R.P. meeting held at the Guards’ Depot, asked the Council to keep the Association informed of future meetings. In addition, it was requested that Chaldon be included in the list of areas in the Caterham District at which recruiting meetings (for A.R.P. volunteers) would be held. Subsequently the Chairman of the campaign meeting was provided by the Association in the person of its Vice-Chairman, Col. B.L. Evans and Captain Keevil at the close of the meeting thanked the Association for its support.
130 volunteers were enrolled at the meeting (the highest percentage for the whole of England), many of the volunteers being Association members. The present Chaldon Red Cross Unit was an outcome of the first aid classes formed for those early volunteers, many of whom belong to the present unit.
In May 1939 the Association was invited by the Council to nominate a person to serve on a committee to undertake in the district a canvassing and publicity campaign for National Service. It was then generally felt by the Association that a nomination should be made but that canvassing should not be made in Chaldon as almost every household had provided one or more volunteers.
The Association, having provided a large number of the volunteers who forthwith came under the instructions of the Council’s A.R.P. services, could do no more until in July 1940 when the discharge of the paid wardens took place.
3. The Association had written to the Council A.R.P. Committee direct instead of the Chief Warden for the district or the Head Warden of the sub-area as it had been understood that the letter would be of assistance to the Council in its future dealings with the Ministry of Home Security.
Minutes of General Committee 9th August 1940
Chaldon A.R.P.
The letter had been considered by the Committee and then the Chief Warden. The suggestion regarding keys of posts being left in accessible positions for the use of any householder could not be adopted – possible use of wardens’ posts by parachutists or unauthorised persons.
Chaldon voluntary wardens (9) would be making house to house calls in the immediate future to give A.R.P. advice and the W.V.S. had offered to the Council A.R.P. Committee to give groups of women short courses in elementary civil defence.
Minutes of 7th Annual General Meeting 1st June 1944
Mr Dane read the report of the General Committee covering 5 years’ activities:
Erection of cross-roads bus shelter and removal of Doctors Lane bus stop to its original position by Rook Farm barn.
Post Office closed in April 1940 and re-opened later.
Varying the Chaldon Planning Scheme (Public Open Space, No. 10. Leazes Avenue) will be raised after the war.
Improvement in bus service. Buses now timed to leave Caterham Sation for Chaldon to allow passengers from London time to connect with the buses.
Other matters considered were footpaths and bridleways and possible use of local Sports Fund.
Meetings to discuss a form of Peace Memorial took place early 1945. There were some plans for a combined scheme for the benefit of the whole area. Many were in favour of a Community Centre, some a new hospital. Others said housing was a priority. A Community centre was decided upon but Chaldon had its own plans:
Minutes of General Committee 16th March 1945
Resolution: to recommend to residents of Chaldon that whilst not dissociating itself from the general Caterham Scheme Chaldon should have its own war memorial.
The Public Meeting at the Village School 19th April 1945 was crowded to capacity. The meeting appointed a War Memorial Committee consisting of:
Col. B.L.Evans, Canon E.E. Crawford, Mrs M. G. Smith, Miss E.M.S. Marshall, Mr A. Granville White, Mr F. Fishlock, Mr W.F. Kearsley.
Minutes of General Committee 21st September 1945
Victory Celebrations:
It was decided that any general Victory celebrations sponsored by the Association should be held on the day which it was presumed would be announced by the government in due course.
War Memorial:
The Committee appointed at the Public meeting had met twice. It recommended the Memorial be in two parts, one at the church, the other in or at the Village Hall or elsewhere in the village, and that the Memorial at the Church take the form of a Stained Glass Window, a Lych Gate or some simple form of memorial or more than one of them. It further recommended that the Memorial in or at the Village Hall be considered at the next Committee meeting to be held.
Minutes of 8th Annual General Meeting 25th October 1945
A War Memorial Committee had been set up. Colonel Evans referred to the way civilians had stood up to the war conditions and dangers and to the severe losses suffered by Chaldon in proportion to the number of inhabitants.
Minutes of General Committee 4th April 1946
Victory Celebrations:
Decided that Chaldon should hold a Fete with a Tea for children and old people. Miss Marshall reported that she hoped to obtain a grant from the Council towards the cost of the teas.
Minutes of 9th Annual General Meeting 23rd May 1947
Colonel Evans reported that a faculty had been obtained for the stained glass war memorial window in the church and the total funds received were:
Stained glass window £212.5s 3d.
Memorial at Village Hall £84 11s 3d.
Minutes of General Committee 6th February 1948
The memorial window at the church had been unveiled and dedicated and a Book of Memory was in course of production. The memorial at the Village Hall to be discussed later.
Minutes of 10th Annual General Meeting 23rd July 1948
The War Memorial Committee had made inquiries as to the possibility of extending the Village Hall. A sum of over £130 was available but this would be totally inadequate for the purpose. Re-opening of the fund, an improved entrance to the Village Hall and a clock for the exterior of that building were among suggestions made.
Minutes of General Committee 3rd November 1948
The War Memorial Committee were recommending the erection of a clock at the Village Hall facing outwards towards Rook Lane.
Minutes of General Meeting 22nd April 1949
The chairman announced that the War Memorial clock at the Village Hall was unveiled on January 29th and handed to the keeping of the Hall Committee.
Minutes of General Committee 14th October 1949
The War Memorial Book was in an advanced state of preparation.
Minutes of General Committee 19th December 1950
Reported that the Memorial Book had been dedicated and installed at the Parish Church.
Liz Bonsall
March 2020