I have been in correspondence with one Jonathan Ives, of Fleet, Hants who was enquiring about a WW2 airman called Peter Verrall Read who was killed in May 1941 and had attended at the Dorking County School. A cousin of his in Australia had informed Jonathan that Peter was born in 1920, had joined the RAF in WW2 and was part of the crew of Wellington R1374 shot down near Nantes on the 8th May 1941. His interest is in helping the town of Pont St Martin, France which plans a commemoration in 2011 and is assisting by tracing relatives of the deceased crew members – 6 in all.
Peter Read’s details can be found on our ADA memorial page:
www.ashcombedorkinian.com/htm/memorials/SecondWar.htm#Read
gleaned from the Commonwealth War Graves website.
We don’t think Peter had any siblings, so his line died with him but Jonathan has made contact with 2 cousins – one in Dorset and one in Australia, but neither has any more information and none have any picture. I indicated to Jonathan that we do have a School Panorama photo from 1937 (and Ashcombe School has a similar from 1932) in which Peter Read may well appear.
http://ashcombedorkinian.com/extras/DCGSpan.php
The association in France, that Jonathan is assisting, has a web page relating to the loss of RAF Wellington R1374 here :
www.absa39-45.asso.fr/Pertes%20Bretagne/Loire%20Atlantique/8%20mai%201941/wellington-R1374.html
If any of our members has any knowledge or clue about Peter Read, or any other members of the crew of RAF Wellington R1374, do please pass such information on to us and we will forward such to Jonathan and Pont St Martin.
Mike Nicholson – webmaster