General Chat

I did some research this afternoon on my Joan Mary Harries...born in 1926. :-)

I found her marriage...... :-D

Marriages Jun 1944 (>99%)
HARRIES Joan M Waite Worthing 2b 874
WAITE John F Harries Worthing 2b 874

Then i found her death...... :-(

Deaths Jun 1944 (>99%)
Waite Joan M 18 Westminster 1a 409

Then i found.........

Joan Mary Waite in the UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945
Name: Joan Mary Waite
Estimated birth year: abt 1926
Death Date: 25 Jun 1944
Death Place: Westminster, London, England
Age at Death: 18
Mother: M A E Harries
Spouse: L A C John Frederick Waite

Joan Mary Waite age 18; B.R.C.S. Daughter of Mrs M. A. E. Harries...Wife of L.A.C John Frederick Waite, R.A.F. Died 25th June at Y.M C A. Canteen, Victoria Station, Hudson Place. :-( :-(

I decided to find out what happened to her husband John.

I found his birth..........then his death :-0 :-0

Deaths Jun 1944 (>99%)
Waite John F 24 Westminster 1a 409


14 Killed by a V1 Flying Bomb 24 June 1944

It is unusual for couples to be buried together under Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial stones. This is the only one in Barrow Cemetery.
Leading Aircraftman John Waite & Joan Waite had been married for a week when he was called back to his base less than three weeks after D-Day. V1 flying bombs had started landing in London on 13th June 1944, and the Waites were killed by one that landed in Westminster on Saturday 24th June. On Tuesday 27th June, this made the front page in the North Western Evening Mail, alongside news of the fall of Cherbourg:

BARROW MAN AND BRIDE KILLED BY FLYING-BOMB

Recalled to his base in the South of England whilst honeymooning in Barrow, a 23 years old member of the RAF and his 19 years old bride, are both reported killed by enemy action. There deaths are believed to have been caused by a flying bomb.
This is the tragic news received by Mrs. Timmington, of 41 Anchor-road, of her son, L.A.C. John Frederick Waite and his bride, formerly Miss Joan Harris, of Littlehampton, Sussex. ‘The news was a terrible blow,’ Mrs. Timmington told an “Evening Mail” reporter, ‘they only married a week last Saturday.’ ‘John was on 14 days leave, but was recalled, and with Joan’s home being in Sussex she travelled south with him. They had not completed their journey, when they were killed. ‘We were informed only of John’s death at first, but after we had given the police a description of Joan we were informed yesterday that she was also amongst the victims.’ ‘They were so happy when they left us and it is hard to realise they have both been killed.’ L.A.C. Waite was in the Merchant Navy before joining the R.A.F. in 1941, leaving the offices of Messrs. Vickers-Armstrong to join the Monarch of Bermuda as a bell-boy at the age of 15 years. When his ship was sunk in 1941 he was unable to get another one immediately and applied for transfer to the R.A.F. He has since been serving with an air-sea rescue squadron.

Joan was an only child......her parents must have been completely devastated.

:-( :-( :-(

So tragic - I had one of my distant cousins and her 3 children killed in Birmingham, husband in the army survived the war. He never remarried.

Brings you up sharp to realise what went on doesn't it? :-0

How very sad, PH :-( <3

They were so young with their lifes ahead of them <3

How sad Prickles, :-( :-( <3

I keep picturing the scenario now.

How happy and excited they must have been on their wedding day.......and the honeymoon.

Even though they were reported as being "So happy when they left us"..The fact that John had to return to the war so soon after the wedding, they must have felt so sad and anxious about the seperation.

If only he hadn't been recalled. :-(

Bless them. <3

That's so sad :-(

A wedding day of such joy, so soon to be followed by such sadness.

So tragic.................

So dreadfully sad for their families, and a quirk of fate that they were in that spot at the time. I suppose a little bit of comfort was that they died together, and hopefully didn't suffer.

Resting in peace for eternity

Lizx