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Showing posts from November, 2021

WW2 100 – 11 June 1941 – 'A German platoon fired a salute of honour over the grave': Flying Officer Peter Harold Howard Pritchard (1921-41)

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Continued from  10 June 1941 'A Vaseful of Remembrance':  SERGEANT JOHN LAKE ENDICOTT (1921-41)   https://budleighpastandpresent.blogspot.com/2020/12/ww2-75-10-june-1941-vaseful-of.html Identifying Peter, who died at the age of 19 while on a minelaying mission, proved difficult: with just the initial P on Budleigh’s war memorial for guidance, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) database yielded only two servicemen, both named Peter.  For a long time I included him as one of my ‘orphans’ – Budleigh-linked WW2 servicemen about whom, sadly, barely anything is known. Finally with immense help via Ancestry from Budleigh resident Carolyn John, Peter Pritchard’s story emerged. It seems that the Pritchard family was based mainly in London, but details uncovered by Carolyn included Peter’s address as ‘Cove’, Budleigh Salterton.  Evidently this fine 19 th century house at 2 West Terrace was a holiday home for the family, which would explain why Peter’s name is ...