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Description: | Collection related to the service of the Simpson family in the Second World War the eldest son Sub-Lieutenant Gordon Nicholas Simpson served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was killed at Anzio on 17 March 1944, Sergeant Jeffrey Charles Simpson who served with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and died on 22 January 1944. The collection also contains reference to a third son of James and Alice Simpson, Harry who was born with severe physical disabilities and died around June 1947 at St Lawrence’s Hospital, Caterham, Surrey.
The collection contains a loose album leaf with two photographs of Jeffrey and two photographs of Gordon, in uniform.
Also within the collection is an album related to Gordon’s service as a signalman on HMS PRUDENT (tug). The album includes images of other service personnel including C A Turner, J D Brown, and R N Petrie, the remainder of the identified individuals are referred to by nicknames. There are also images of other vessels including HMS RESTIVE (tug), HMS CHESTERFIELD, HMS THUNDERBOLT, HMS CANDYTUFT, HMS QUEEN OF BERMUDA, SS NORFOLK, SS DIMITRIOS CHANDROS, SS MACBETH, USS SALINAS. The album depicts the service of HMS PRUDENT abroad, travelling to Canada, including St John’s and Halifax, and New York.
Related to the service of Gordon and Jeffrey are a series of letters and telegrams from the Admiralty, the RAF, the Imperial War Graves Commission, and other individuals to the Simpson family. Admiralty and RAF letters discuss the circumstances of the deaths and burials of Gordon and Jeffrey and the IWGC letters relate to memorial inscriptions. There is a private letter between Gordon and his mother expressing his feelings after the loss of his brother Jeffrey and two private letters from individuals expressing their condolences after Gordon’s death. One of whom was written by J Douglas Brown, presumed to be the J D Brown identified in the album.
The collection also contains three loose album leaves related to the British Army in the First World War. One page is entitled Uncle Jim Sharp’s War 1914-1918 and include images of Gallipoli in 1915, individual and group photographs of Army personnel serving with the Honourable Artillery Company and a group photograph of the ‘Alberta Merry Imps’.
One green leather album containing 22 pages, 4 loose album leaves, and assorted documents. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Various | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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