They shall not grow old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them

Darlington Borough Council, and The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, have both approved for Darlington Branch of The Royal British Legion to publish photos and information of War Graves and Memorials within the Darlington area 

(Updated 18/04/2025) 

Please Note

• War Graves are not shown in any Date, Rank, Corps, Unit, Organisation Or Regimental Order
• This is an on-going project, where further information and records are still to be found by the RBL Darlington Branch Project Team

There are 6 War Graves within St George's Churchyard, Low Middleton, Darlington.  They are all servicemen from:

• The United Kingdom
• Canada

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89600 Pilot Officer Alfred Victor Snelling - 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Pilot) - Died 09/06/1941 Age Not Recorded

Born: Unknown

From: Epsom Downs, Surrey

Son of Alfred and Emma Snelling, of Epsom Downs, Surrey

His Whitley aircraft (#VZ6571) took off from RAF Middleton St George. on an operation flight, at 23.00 hrs on 08.06.1941.  The aircraft crashed on it's return on 09.06.1941, killing all aircrew on broad 

The other four airmen who also perished due to this crash were:

Sergeant Dennis Russell Simm - 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Pilot) - Died 09/06/1941 - Aged 27 (Service Number not found to date)

Born: 1914

From: Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England

Buried at Ashbourne Cemetery, Derbyshire, England

Son of Bernard Compton Simm and Mabel Simm, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England

Sergeant J S Tomkinson - 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

(No records found to date)

967253 Flight Sergeant Gordon E C Billing - 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) - Died 09/06/1941 - Aged 24

Born: 1917

From: Leyland, Lancashire, England

Buried at Saint Andrews Churchyard, Leyland, Lancashire, England, on 13.06.1941

Son of Arthur John and Elizabeth Billing, of Leyland, Lancashire, England

972788 Sergeant John Bernard Stevens - 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) - Died 09/06/1941 - Aged 21

Born: 1920

From: Hornchurch, Essex, England.  (Now in Greater London, England)

Buried at Hornchurch Cemetery, Essex, England

Son of John Alexander and Louisa Stevens, of Hornchurch, Essex, England.  Family originally from Westmount, Quebec, Canada

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R/60280 Sergeant Reginald James McInnes - 76 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (Pilot) - Died 13/08/1941 Aged 21

Born: 1920

From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Son of William James and Violet McInnes, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

His Halifax Bomber (#L9562) stalled and crashed, killing all aircrew on broad, on its return to RAF Middleton St. George, from a mission to Berlin, Germany

The other six airmen who also perished due to this crash were:

565799 Sergeant Cecil Austin - 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force (Flight Engineer) - Died 13/08/1941 Age Not Recorded

Born: Unknown

From: Headington, Oxfordshire, England

Buried at Headington Cemetery, Oxfordshire, England

Son of Edward James and Mauld May Austin, of Headington, Oxfordshire, England

R/64143 Sergeant Lorne Edwin Brown - 76 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) - Died 13/08/1941 Aged 21

Born: 1920

From: Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada

Buried at Wrentham, Suffolk, England

Son of Lorne and Annie Mildred Brown, of Port Rowan, Ontario, Canada

940001 Sergeant Edward Peter Hogan - 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) - Died 13/08/1941 Age Not Recorded

Born: Unknown

From: Unknown

Buried at Southwick, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England

Flight Sergeant Stanley Charles Mayes - 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Observer) - Died 13/08/1941 Aged 21 (Service Number not found to date)

Born: 1920

From: Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, England

Buried at Kingsthorpe Cemetery, Northamptonshire, England

Husband of Constance Eileen Mayes of Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, England

Son of George Henry and Annie Mayes, of Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, England

741064 Flight Sergeant John McHale - 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Pilot) - Died 13/08/1941 Age Not Recorded

Born: Unknown

From: Killingbeck, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Buried at Killingbeck Roman Catholic Cemetery, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

517461 Flight Sergeant James Gardner Simpson West (DFM) - 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force (Air Gunner) - Died 13/08/1941 Aged 26

Born: 1915

From: Slamanan, Falkirk, Scotland

Buried at Slamannan Cemetery and Churchyard, Slamanan, Falkirk, Scotland

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263964 3rd Air Mech J Hamilton - Royal Air Force - Died 02/07/1918 Aged 32

Born: Unknown

From: Unknown

(No records found to date)

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5332 Private Hubert Percy Lambert - 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry - Died 16/08/1915 Aged 34

Born: 1881

From: Middleton St George, Darlington, County Durham, England

Husband of V. B. Lambert, of 1 Old Row, Middleton St. George, County Durham, Darlington, England

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12107 Lance Serjeant Arthur S Greaves - 12th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry - Died 24/05/1920 Aged 26

Born: 1894 / 1895

From: Middleton St George, Darlington, County Durham, England

Husband of Mary Greaves, of Oak Tree Farm, Middleton St. George, Darlington, County Durham, England

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106375 Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Arthur William Rutledge - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Pilot) - Died 16/09/1944 Aged 32

Born: 29/06/1912

From: Darlington, County Durham, England

Son of Charles and Mary Rutledge, of Darlington, County Durham, England

Husband of Ethel Mildred Rutledge, of Middleton St George, Darlington, County Durham, England

In the 1939 England and Wales Register, he was an Assistant Schoolmaster living in Darlington with his parents Schoolmaster Charles & Mary Rutledge