- Contributed by听
- Poole Pilot Centre
- People in story:听
- R C Taylor (Major)
- Location of story:听
- Bournemouth
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A1159580
- Contributed on:听
- 29 August 2003
By R C Taylor (Major)
For an infantryman to be killed in action on an overseas battlefield is not exactly unexpected, but to be killed on active service by the enemy, in England - in Bournemouth of all places - surely is unexpected.
After Dunkirk, the 1st Battalion The East Surrey Regiment assembled at Axminster and moved via Northwell Park and Marwell Hall, to Bournemouth. We were billeted in the western residential part of the town in very pleaseant billets, mostly private houses.
In October (1940) the air raids began, primarily on Poole and its important harbour, but also on the residential parts of Bournemouth. Early in November a parachute mine landed on the house in which the headquarters of 'D' Coy were quartered. Some sixteen men were killed including CSM Gravett and CQMS Blackman. They were buried with full military honours in Bouremouth North Cemetery.
As I have now moved to Wareham nearby, I thought I must visit the graves once more and also take some photographs. The small military cemetery is, as is usual, extremely well kept. Eleven men are buried there including CQMS Blackman. I have a list of them giving rank, name and number. Enquiries led me to believe that CSM Gravett and several others, having been claimed by relatives, are buried elsewhere. Just over two years later the whole of 'D' Coy was wiped out at Fort McGregor in Tunisia.
R C Taylor (Major)
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