Stanley David Gummery
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Stanley David GUMMERY


The Gummery Family of Liverpool

Stanley David Gummery was born in 1915 in Liverpool, the son of Frederick Stanley Gummery and his wife Hermena Voss. There were three other children born into the family:-

  • Eva M. Gummery born 1914 in Liverpool
  • Stanley David Gummery born 1915 in Liverpool
  • Allan Thomas Gummery (twin) born 1921 in Liverpool
  • Kenneth C. Gummery (twin) born 1921 in Liverpool; died 1922 in Liverpool

236 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Stanley was a Sergeant (1101219) with 236 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War.

No.236 Squadron was originally formed during the latter stages of World War One, then reformed at Stradishill on 31 October 1939 as a fighter squadron equipped with Blenheim Is and IVs, and transferred to Coastal Command in February 1940 before becoming operational. Because of serviceability problems it was June 1940 before the squadron was declared operational flying convoy patrols over the Bristol and English Channels, and also contributing to patrols along the Havre/Cherbourg stretch of enemy coastline. In July it went over to night patrols over the English Channel, on the 17th July finding three Junkers Ju 87s and damaging one. By day the Squadron escorted PR aircraft to France, loosing three aircraft that month. These escorts continued, as did the losses - on 1st August the Squadron strafed Cherbourg airfield loosing two crews, including the CO.

A move of base west to St Eval in Cornwall meant that their main task was convoy patrols, with the occasional French coast recces. On 23rd September three aircraft from the Squadron shot a Heinkel He 111 into the sea, and two days later a Dornier Do 18. From September to November 1940 the Squadron had A flight at Aldergrove. Increasingly the scene of No.236s activities became the Brest - Ushant coast (known as Bust patrols), flying between Brest on the Normandy coast and the island of Ushant (or Oeussant), then out in to the Bay of Biscay. When the Beauforts went torpedo bombing No.236 escorted them.

For most of 1941 the pattern of operation remained the same - Bust patrols, Fastnet patrols, escorts to DC-3s flying to Lisbon and back, and Brest recces. In June 1941 the Squadron flew 248 sorties, many of them convoy escorts. They began night intruder patrols in July to the Brest airfields and these were continued the following month as the Squaron changed over from Bristol Blenheim IV-F to Bristol Beaufighter I-C aircraft. The first operations with the Beaufighters began in November, the aircraft having been introduced into Coastal Command squadrons as a strike fighter - rockets and torpedoes were added to the original gun armaments giving it greater fire power.

Flights Over Norway

With the Beaufighters 236 squadron detached to Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands from where they could attack German occupied Norway and do photographic reconnaissance. The A.S.O. Summary sheet no.402 for 28 December 1941 states the following:-

Coastal Command
27 December - Day Operations
1012/27 An unstated number of Blenheim fighters and Beaufort fighters were despatched to escort a Naval force. 2 Blenheim fighters sighted and attacked 2 Messerschmitt 109F 15 miles south of Statland, as a result of which 1 Messerschmitt 109F was seen to break off the engagement with smoke pouring from it. In addition, incomplete reports indicate that at least 4 Heinkel He IIIs were probably destroyed in this operation. 2 Beaufighters and 1 Blenheim Fighter are missing.

Sergeant Stanley David Gummery (1101219) was on board one of these missing aircraft, and died in this incident south of Statland over the coast of Norway on 27th December 1941, aged 26 years. His name is on panel 44 of the Runnymede Memorial overlooking the Thames on Cooper's Hill at Englefield green between Windsor and Egham on the A308, 4 miles from Windsor.

Before he went away to war Stanley made a will in case the worst happened. Stanley David Gummery of 84 Devonfield Road, Liverpool 9 left £267.01.05 to his father Frederick Stanley Gummery, a civil defence worker.

If you wish to know more about this family please email me .

References:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon
URL=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gomery/standgumm.html
Last revised: 14 March 2000
© Linda Hansen 2000