Page 114 - Sylvia Malt - Side by Side

ARTHUR GEORGE ARCHER CUNNINGTON, Signalman,
56th London, Royal Corps of Signals
1915 - November 1945

Arthur Cunnington's parents, Arthur Nelson and Bertha, lived in the High Street, Foots
Cray. He married Daisy Isabel Bews in the summer of 1940. Before joining the Army in
1940, Arthur had worked with his father in their building business with a base in Cray
Buildings, Foots Cray High Street. Born in Foots Cray, as a youngster he had been an
enthusiastic boy scout. Arthur had always been a keen motor cyclist and was a member of
Sidcup & District Motor Cycle Club. He was assigned as a despatch rider for his Regiment,
which involved many dangerous missions. Since his regiment left the United Kingdom in
1942, Arthur had served in Iraq, Africa, Sicily and Italy.

Although the war was officially over in Europe in May 1945 and in the Far East in August
1945, there was much work for the Allied forces to do throughout Europe "cleaning up the
mess" and making life bearable again for the unfortunate generation who had just endured
those years of terrible deprivation. In November 1945, Arthur's regiment was serving in
Italy. Unfortunately, he was riding his motor cycle near the dramatic Brenner Pass which
divides Austria from Italy when he was involved in an accident. He did not survive.

In Memoriam: Buried at Klagenfurt War Cemetery, Austria

Joseph Austin DOVER Steward, Royal Navy HMS Fabius
1912 - 3rd March 1945

Joseph Dover lived in Bromley. He had grown up in Foots Cray where his parents, Joseph
and Susan, still lived. He married 22-year-old Elsie L. Shoesmith in the autumn of 1941. At
the outbreak of war Joseph had joined the Navy and by 1945 was serving in HMS Fabius as
a Ship's Steward. HMS Fabius was a Royal Navy Base in Italian waters.

Unfortunately, on Saturday 3rd March 1945, 43-year-old Joseph became seriously ill and
died at the base. He is rightly recorded as having died on War service. A son, born in April
1945 just a month after Joseph died, was named Barrie Joseph Austin in memory of his
late father. Joseph had previously made a Will leaving everything to his wife.

In Memoriam Joseph Dover was buried, with military honours, at Bari War Cemetery.

ALFRED HENRY GRAY, Able Seaman - Merchant Navy SS Belgian Soldier
1914 - 3rd August 1942

Alfred's parents, Arthur and Abena, lived at 37 Suffolk Road, Foots Cray. He was the only
person from either Foots Cray or North Cray to be lost whilst serving with the Merchant
Navy. A valuable service to the country that sometimes gets forgotten in the adoration of
the more glamorous regiments and Air Force heroics. But without sufficient food and
supply of goods, especially in regard to ammunition and aircraft production, the country
could not have functioned effectively to enable the war to have been won.

In 1942, the 28-year-old seaman was one of a mixed crew serving on the SS Belgian Soldier
sailing out of Glasgow to America to collect valuable supplies. Originally built as British
Empire Selwyn it was sold to Belgium in 1942 and at the beginning of August the ship left
Glasgow in a convoy of ships bound for America. The mixed crew of British and Belgian
men also included seven men from the British Army as gun crew.

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