John Eason Sharpley

[didiertarquis]

Bonjour
Je recherche l'acte de naissance de John Eason Sharpley décédé le 1 juillet 1944 à Vouzon Loir-et-Cher France suite au crash de son Avro Lancaster.
Merci de vos réponses.
Cordialement,
Didier TARQUIS

[Pam Downes]

Bienvenue Didier.

Unfortunately that's the limit of my French, so the rest will have to be in English.
(We may have someone on the forum who is fluent in French who could translate my reply for you.)

I will give some details, none of which will make any particular sense to you, but will perhaps be helpful to other people on the forum to give you a precise answer.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission site gives no further details about John's age or family. He was a flight sergeant (air gunner) in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, and is buried in Vouzon Communal Cemetery. John is the only CWGC's burial in the cemetery.

There are two John E Sharpley births between 1900 and 1930.
One registered in September quarter 1915, Glanford Brigg registration district, mother's maiden name Davy.
Second was registered March quarter 1925, Burnley registration district, mother's maiden name Weir.

I am now going to look at the newspaper archive for any reports about John's death.

Pam

[Lesley Robertson]

Oddly, according to the Aircrewremembered.com site, 2 JE Sharpleys crashed within 2 days of each other:
2204552 Flight Sergeant JE Sharpley crashed/died 30 June 1944 at Vouzon, Loir et Cher. He was flying Lancaster II number LM621 from Grimsby on operation Vierzon.
Sgt JE Sharpley crashed 2 Jun 1944 in Lancaster II number ND456, also from Grimsby on mission Berneval, crash landed at Woodbridge. He's not on the CWGC site, so presumably survived.

With 2 of them flying the same plane from the same base, it will be easy to confuse them...


Note added later. Pam's has pointed out my typo below. That should say that they crashed within 28 days...

[Squaredancer]

This may be of interest: https://warmemorials.myfastforum.org/...nt&postid=5217
It shows a memorial in Ormskirk to John Eason Sharpley who died 1.7.1944. Suggests that he may be from Lancashire?
(My French just about runs to knowing that Didier wants to find JES's birth.)

[Pam Downes]

Nothing online in the newspaper archive, but I have made contact with the main library local to Glanford Brigg registration district who have said that they will look in the local papers for me.

Have had inspiration and looked for John born 1915 in the 1939 Register. He was living in Kingston upon Thames, away from his family.
His parents were Christopher Wilfred Sharpley and Margaret Frances Davy who married March quarter 1909 Louth registration district.

According to the GRO Historic Births Index, John was registered at birth as John Edward Sharpley.

Going back to the John E Sharpley, birth registered in 1925, he's not showing in the in the 1939 Register, nor can I find a death registration for him to 2007, and he's not in the Probate Index to date.

The only death showing for a John E Sharpley is the one in 1944.

Didier -
Can I ask if you have a particular reason for wanting to trace John's birth?

Pam

[Pam Downes]

Oddly, according to the Aircrewremembered.com site, 2 JE Sharpleys crashed within 2 days of each other:
2204552 Flight Sergeant JE Sharpley crashed/died 30 June 1944 at Vouzon, Loir et Cher. He was flying Lancaster II number LM621 from Grimsby on operation Vierzon.
Sgt JE Sharpley crashed 2 Jun 1944 in Lancaster II number ND456, also from Grimsby on mission Berneval, crash landed at Woodbridge. He's not on the CWGC site, so presumably survived.

With 2 of them flying the same plane from the same base, it will be easy to confuse them...

Well that's truly put the cat amongst the pigeons. (Do you think the French have an equivalent saying? )

Did you make a typo or are your maths a bit shaky?
You say that they crashed within two days of each other but then say one crashed on the 30 June and one crashed on 2 June? Do you mean 2 July?
(I've tried searching the Aircrewremembered site but totally failed to find anything. )

Pam

[Pam Downes]

This may be of interest: https://warmemorials.myfastforum.org/...nt&postid=5217
It shows a memorial in Ormskirk to John Eason Sharpley who died 1.7.1944. Suggests that he may be from Lancashire?
(My French just about runs to knowing that Didier wants to find JES's birth.)

Hi Squaredancer, you're obviously at the same level of competence as me in French - just scraped
a pass in your GCE.

Though did you have to completely ruin my decision that the John who died was the one born in 1915?

On the other hand, your find does absolutely narrow it down to the John whose birth was registered in 1925.
So I'll now see what I can find about him.

Pam

[Peter Goodey]

the John whose birth was registered in 1925.

Agreed

Marion Nairne Eason WEIR born 1897. Married Walter SHARPLEY 1922. John E Sharpley born 1925, Mother's maiden name - WEIR

John's parent, Walter and Marion, were in Ormskirk in 1939

[Lesley Robertson]

Pam, select the databases tag on Aircrewremembered, a bit further than halfway down the list select bomber command. I used the search line "sharpley AND lancaster AND 1944"

You're right about the typo in message #3! It should have said 28 days.

[Pam Downes]

Following Squaredancer's find of the memorial to John Eason Sharpley in Ormskirk which IMO proves he's the one born in 1925 in Burnley, here's the details of his family.

Parents Walter Sharpley and Marion N E Weir married December quarter 1922 Burnley registration district.

In 1939 they are living in Ormskirk, Walter born 1895 and Marion born 1898.
There are four closed entries in the same household, which would equate to their four children, first three born Burnley registration district, last one born (1935) in Ormskirk registration district.
Wondered for a minute why John's entry wasn't opened but it's because his death isn't in the ordinary GRO Index as he died overseas.

Walter's death registration in December quarter 1966 Southport registration district.
Marion's in June quarter 1952 Southport registration district.

Can find a likely marriage for the first daughter born in 1928, but nothing for the other two children.

Pam