ID: WW2_JTL

TitleJames Tales - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
AbstractWW2 Memorial Profiles - West Mersea

JAMES TALES
Flt. Sgt. (W. Op/Air Gnr) 755804
97 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 14 July 1942
Commemorated Barfield Road Grave 216, West Mersea. (His mother's grave)

"Son of Mr & Mrs W.J. Tales of South Benfleet" is the information held by Commonwealth War Graves Commision.
We have to go back to James' maternal grandmother to find the reason that James is commemorated in Barfield Road Cemetery, West Mersea.
Lucy Hepzibah Cook was born in 1860, daughter of Daniel and Lucy H. Cook née Hardy living in West Mersea. In 1871 she was living with the family in The Lane South, West Mersea. In 1883 she married John McDonnell at Elham in Kent. John was born in Ireland c1861. Their daughter Norah Agnes McDonnell was born c1892 in Brentwood - the 1891 census shows John and Lucy McDonnell with 5 children living in St Giles, City of London. The children were all born in Brentwood except the eldest, Roland J., born Colchester. Also living with them was Lily M. Hardy age 18 - born West Mersea 1883 and granddaughter of Lucy H. Cook.
The 1911 Census tells us that Norah McDonnell was living with her mother Lucy McDonnell age 50, 2 brothers, and 16 yr old Linda Cook, in Artizan Street, Houndsditch, London E. Norah was a linen room maid. Her mother Lucy was listed as born Mersea. Linda Cook was from Mersea, born about 1895 and daughter of George and Kate Cook. Lucy died in London in 1926.

Lucy McDonnell and her daughter Norah - top of Wellhouse Hill, West Mersea

Norah Agnes McDonnell married William James Tales in Aldgate, London, in 26 Dec 1915. Their son James would have been born around 1921. 14 November 1928 Norah Agnes Tales died in Southwark, but was buried in her mother's birthplace, Mersea, in Barfield Road Cemetery.
James Tales is also commemorated on the gravestone in the cemetery.

James' father William James Tales was living in South Benfleet in 1939 and was a Dock Labourer. He died 13 March 1957, still at South Benfleet.

Norah Agnes Tales and James Tales. Barfield Road Cemetery, West Mersea

On 14 July 1942, Fred was Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Lancaster R5558 based at Woodhall Spa which took off for a raid on Duisburg. On the way back it was hit by flak or a night fighter and crashed into the sea 3 miles off Wells, Norfolk. Wells Lifeboat was launched on receiving a report of a downed aircraft. The aircraft was still afloat and Fg. Off Davies was found clinging to the wing. There was no one else in the aircraft. The lifeboat returned to Wells and Fg. Off. Davies was taken to hospital, but he died shortly afterwards. The lifeboat returned to search for the remaining crew. The bodies of Fg Off Blease and Flt Sgt. McPhee were found but the other 4 crew members were never found.
Lifeboat Coxswain Neilson was subsequently awarded an RNLI inscription of thanks on vellum, for his bravery in boarding the remains of the fuselage to search for possible survivors, in spite of the possibility of it sinking without warning.

With thanks to
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
aviation-safety.net
Roger Bullen
Chris Kirkman

SourceMersea Museum
IDWW2_JTL
Related Images:
 In Loving Memory of My Dear Wife
 NORAH AGNES TALES
 who passed away 14 November 1928 aged 37 years
 Also Flight-Sergt JAMES TALES, R.A.F., son of the above, who was killed in action on 14 July 1942, aged 21 years.
 Now At Rest
</p><p>Grave 216, Barfield Road Cemetery, West Mersea  CEM_BFD_0216_001
ImageID:   CEM_BFD_0216_001
Title: In Loving Memory of My Dear Wife
NORAH AGNES TALES
who passed away 14 November 1928 aged 37 years
Also Flight-Sergt JAMES TALES, R.A.F., son of the above, who was killed in action on 14 July 1942, aged 21 years.
"Now At Rest"

Grave 216, Barfield Road Cemetery, West Mersea

Date:11 November 2019
Source:Mersea Museum
 Lucy McDonnell and her daughter Norah, taken at the top of Wellhouse Hill.
 Lucy McDonnell was born Lucy Hepzibah Cook in 1860 and was a sister of Ron Green's grandmother Annie Laura Green née Cook. who was born about 1877..
 Norah Agnes McDonnell married William James Tales in London in 1915. She died in 1928 and is buried in Barfield Road Cemetery.  RG03_971
ImageID:   RG03_971
Title: Lucy McDonnell and her daughter Norah, taken at the top of Wellhouse Hill.
Lucy McDonnell was born Lucy Hepzibah Cook in 1860 and was a sister of Ron Green's grandmother Annie Laura Green née Cook. who was born about 1877..
Norah Agnes McDonnell married William James Tales in London in 1915. She died in 1928 and is buried in Barfield Road Cemetery.
Source:Ron Green Collection
 The Lady on the right of the picture is Lucy McDonnell - born Lucy Hepzibah Cook and sister of Ron Green's grandmother Annie Laura Green née Cook. The other large lady is another sister Rose Whiting with her husband lurking in the shadows behind. The other little lady to the left of the picture is their sister in law Nell Cook née Carter wife of Ernest (Jim) Cook, Ron's grandma's brother. Their son Jim had the lawn mower shop in Church Road which was later run by their great grandson.  RG03_973
ImageID:   RG03_973
Title: The Lady on the right of the picture is Lucy McDonnell - born Lucy Hepzibah Cook and sister of Ron Green's grandmother Annie Laura Green née Cook. The other large lady is another sister Rose Whiting with her husband lurking in the shadows behind. The other little lady to the left of the picture is their sister in law Nell Cook née Carter wife of Ernest (Jim) Cook, Ron's grandma's brother. Their son Jim had the lawn mower shop in Church Road which was later run by their great grandson.
Source:Ron Green Collection