TRIBUTE TO STAFF OF PROVINCIAL INSURANCE
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR II
They shall grow not old as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn
At the going down of of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them ...
Many of you will remember the memorial stone outside the old boardroom in ‘Head Office’.
When Sand Aire was closed at end of 2000, the stone was transferred to St George’s - the church across the river from head office. Since then we have arranged for wreaths from the Scott family and Provincial Pensioner’s Association to be laid every year during a special service on 11th November - Armistice Day.
This year (2025) was to be a special one because of the various anniversaries (Dunkirk, VE Day, VJ Day).
Unfortunately we are unable to do so because as access to the church is restricted; structural problems, perhaps arising from the flood prevention work being carried out only metres from the building.
However, we do wish to remember our former colleagues ...
There were 33 who died including one lady civilian member of staff killed during an air raid on Nottingham, 15 served in the RAF, 16 in the Army and one in the Royal Navy.
Whilst it is only fitting that we pay tribute to them and their memory we also remember that a further 254 staff, including six ladies, served in the military during the war and came home. A further 163 staff did part time service to Home Defence (after doing their day job).
We know about them because between 1946 and 1949 Maurice Conway of Leeds office, in his own time and at his own expense, created a Book of Memories. It’s rather like a medieval manuscript with a separate page for each of the fallen (see Roll of Honour below).
There is also a list of the staff who returned, and those who served in Home Defence.
Thankfully, the book was discovered and retrieved by Christine Nicholson when Head Office closed and it is now held by Cumbria County Archives. Many thanks to Christine for her analysis and collation of the information.
Military service in times of war must have an effect, to a greater or lesser extent, not only on those who served, but also on their family and friends at home.
So, if you are able to, at 11 o’clock on the 11th November, please take a moment or two to remember our former colleagues, their families and friends.
When you go home, tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow we gave our today ...
ROLL OF HONOUR
STAFF OF PROVINCIAL INSURANCE COMPANY
KILLED DURING WORLD WAR II
Geoffrey R Adams - RAF - Sgt
Birmingham Branch - lost during operations in Crete, May 1941
James Armistead- RAF - Cadet
Head Office - killed in flying accident during training in South Africa, May 1945
Arthur James Ashworth - Royal Navy - Telegraphist
Head Office - KIA on HMS Tynedale, December 1943
Noel Henley Barber - Welsh Guards - 2nd Lieutenant
Head Office - KIA Burma, May 1944
James Hugh Broadhead - RAF - Sgt Pilot
Bristol Office - KIA North Africa, March 1942
James Kenneth Broderick - RAF - Pilot Officer, Bomber Command
London Office - Lancaster bomber captain - KIA on 36th operation, July 1942
John Douglas Burnley - RAF - Sgt Air Gunner - Bomber Command
Leeds Branch - Missing, presumed KIA in operation over Germany, April 1942
Richard Lawrence Chitty - RAF - Flt Sgt Navigator - Bomber Command
London, Marine Dept - lost with all crew over Essen, Jan 1943
John Cotton - RAF - Sgt fighter pilot
Manchester Branch - KIA Middle East theatre of war, September 1943
Norman Crampton - Gloucester Regt - Lieutenant
Bristol Branch - KIA North Africa, November 1942
William Waller Dawson - RAF - Flt Sgt Navigator
Head Office - Shot down in operation over Germany, April 1943
Michael Dickinson - Royal Armoured Corps - Sgt
Head Office - a “Desert Rat“ seriously wounded in Italian campaign and died from wounds, September 1944
David Wylie Gairnes - Royal Armoured Corps - Lieutenant
Glasgow Branch - KIA Tunisia, February 1943
James Gauld - Royal Durban Light Infantry - Corporal
Durban Office, South Africa - Captured at Tobruk; as a POW was killed during allied air raid, August 1944
Robert Goulding - RAF - Pilot Officer
Carlisle Branch - KIA over Holland, July 1941
Arthur Borwick Guest - Border Regt - Lance Corporal
Head Office - KIA France, May 1940
Joan Stuart Haylock - Civilian - Volunteer with Red Cross
Nottingham Branch - Killed during enemy air raid, May 1941
William Kitching Hodgson - Border Regt - Captain
Head Office -KIA Arnhem, September 1944
Graeme Michael Hughes - RAF - Sgt Observer
Bradford Branch - KIA in operation over Sicily, May 1943
Eric Harold Johnson - RAF - Sgt Pilot
Leicester Branch - Lost in navigation training exercise over Western Atlantic, January 1943
William Gibbons Markland - RAF - Sgt
Head Office - KIA Far East, March 1942
Arthur James Matón - RAF - Flight Sgt Pilot
London Marine Dept - Missing, presumed KIA
Donald Stuart Murray - Reconnaissance Regt - Lieutenant
Head Office - KIA, September 1944
Arnold O’Loughlin - Royal Army Medical Corps - Driver
Head Office - Died whilst POW in Burma, July 1945
Dennis Stanley Freeman Rogers - Royal Artillery - Gunner
Leeds Branch - POW, presumed drowned when ship transferring POWs was sunk, March 1943
Raymond Rozan - Reconnaissance Regt - Lieutenant
London Office - Foreign Fire Dept - KIA, August 1944
Walter Hubert Rushton - York and Lancaster Regt - Lieutenant
Huddersfield Office - Served in India, Persia, North Africa and Sicily landings - died from wounds, April 1945
James Philip Edmund Scott - Kings Royal Rifle Corps - Captain
London Executive - died from wounds sustained in North Africa campaign May 1942
Frank Carr Scrimgeour - South African Artillery Brigade - Sgt
Cape Town South Africa- KIA North Africa, December 1941
Derek Smith - RAF - Sgt Pilot
Head Office - Died in flying accident New Brunswick, November 1942
Geoffrey Stuart Smith - RAF - Sgt Air Gunner
Birmingham Office - missing presumed dead after aircraft reported engine problems over Libya, December 1941
Arthur Netherway Ward - Royal Artillery - Bombadier
London Office - died in hospital at Lincoln following illness contracted as POW Burma, February 1946
Norman Wormall - Royal Artillery - Sgt
London Office - KIA North Africa, Dec 1942
In addition 3 members of staff were killed in WW1 but no details are available.
(John Lyons / Christine Nicholson 2025)