Charles Frederick William Hiley

.........continuing the series on Hileys/Highleys killed in WW2.

Charles Frederick William Hiley is the only Hiley listed as a 'Civilian War Death' in WW1 or WW2. He was injured in Westminster, London on 3rd July 1944 and died in Westminster Hospital the same day.

Charles was born in Lambeth in 1909, the son of Charles William and Ethel. He married Freda Hughes in 1937 in Uxbridge. The 1939 Register showed Charles and Freda living in Ruislip-Northwood. The entry for his occupation is 'Book Keeper & Clerk Chemical Merchants Office and Full Time Auxiliary Fireman'.

Charles was a Fireman with the National Fire Service.

Soon after the successful D-Day landings in north western France on 6 June 1944 Hitler launched a final air assault on London using V-Weapons (Vengeance Weapons). Between 13 June 1944 and 29 March 1945 over 3000 of these hit the capital and its suburbs. Almost 9000 people were killed and at least 24000 others were seriously injured.

The first of these weapons were V1 flying bombs (known to Londoners as ‘Doodlebugs’). In the City of Westminster, from 18 June to 27 August 1944, 30 V1s killed 267 people, seriously injured 663 and otherwise injured over 1,000 others.

The circumstances of Charles's death are not known but it is possible that he was on duty as a fireman at the time dealing with the result of a V1 bomb attack on Westminster.

Firemen in London train their hoses on burning buildings following an air raid during the Blitz

Men of the National Fire Service listen for survivors following a V1 attack

Pictures in the Public Domain

Remembering the Lancastria

Following on from the last post about Arthur Thomas Highley who was killed when the troopship Lancastria was bombed and sunk on 17th June 1940, below is a link to an excerpt from a 'Who Do You Think You Are' episode. Amanda Holden's grandfather Frank Holden was one of the survivors.

Arthur Thomas Highley

Today's post features the second in the series on Hileys/Highleys who were killed in WW2. Arthur Thomas Highley, the son of Fawthrop and Emily (nee Burton) Highley, was born in Warley near Halifax in 1899. 

Arthur served for many years in the Army and joined up in WW1, serving with the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He married Alice Anne Dover in Bradford in 1919 and the couple had seven children. They lived at 17 Back Bedford Terrace in Halifax and Arthur worked at the Cote Hill Bobbin works.

Arthur rejoined the Army in January 1940 and went to France the following month. He was aboard the troopship RMS Lancastria on 17th June 1940 when it was bombed and sunk off St Nazaire in France. The Lancastria was a British ocean liner requisitioned by the UK Government during WW2 and it had received an emergency order to evacuate British nationals and troops from France. The ship was loaded well in excess of its capacity of 1300 passengers and it is estimated that between 4000 and 7000 people died during the sinking.

The sinking of the Lancastria was the largest loss of life from a single engagement for British forces in World War Two and the largest loss of life in British maritime history - greater than the Titanic and Lusitania combined.

A postcard of RMS Lancastria from 1927

The sinking of the Lancastria seen from a rescue ship

Although Arthur died on 17th June 1940 the Halifax Evening Courier still reported him as missing on 7th August.   

This picture appeared in the Courier on 9th August 1940

Arthur's grave at Pornic War Cemetery in France