Ft. Sgt. John Boyce RCAF, 115 Squadron, RAF
R/62091 FLIGHT SERGEANT
J.W. BOYCE
WIRELESS OPERATOR/AIR GUNNER
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
1ST SEPTEMBER 1941 AGE 25
HIS LIFE HE FREELY GAVE
FOR THE CAUSE OF RIGHT
THAT WE MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE
R/62091 Flight Sergeant John William Boyce, RCAF, 115 Sqn. RAF.
The son of Albert William and Amy Isabel Boyce, nephew of Dorothy A. Daniels of Belton, Norfolk.
Died on 1st. September 1941, aged 25. The cause of death is unknown.
Buried in Grave 21 L at St. Mary's churchyard, Blundeston, Suffolk.
Commemorated on Page 24 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance of the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
115 Sqn. was reformed at RAF Marham in Norfolk on 15th. June 1937 and by the outbreak of the Second World War it was equipped with the Vickers Wellington bomber. The squadron was declared operational on the first day of the war. In April 1940 the squadron made the RAF's first mainland bombing raid of the war, bombing the German held Norwegian airfield at Stavanger. At the time of John's death the squadron was flying the Wellington Mk.Ic version, still from Marham.
As a consequence of their continuous service with Bomber Command throughout the war, 115 Squadron dropped the second greatest tonnage of bombs, approximately 23,000 tons, of any RAF squadron as well as participating in the third highest number of raids.
However, as a direct result of their almost continuous availability, 115 Squadron suffered the highest losses of any squadron in Bomber Command and were the only squadron to lose more than 200 aircraft during the war.
The card attached to the wreath reads:
In Remembrance
My cousin Jack
Who lost his life in a country
far from his home Canada
R.C.A.F.
My brother Richard (Jack's cousin)
He served in the Royal Navy
and gave his life for all.
He lies in the Catania Cemetery, Sicily
R.N.
Richard was:
P/JX 329492 Able Seaman
Richard Albert Frank Jewson, H.M.S. Princess Josephine Charlotte, Royal Navy.
The son of Richard Edward and Ethel Sarah Jewson (born in Blundeston in 1899) of Carshalton, Surrey.
Died on 12th July 1943, aged 19.The cause of death is unknown.
Buried in Grave II. F. 4 at Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy.
The personal Inscription on the headstone reads:
LORD, MAKE THE NATIONS SEE
THAT MEN SHOULD BROTHERS BE
THE WIDE WORLD O'ER
HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte was completed in January 1931 for the Belgian Marine Administration's Ostend fleet by Cockerill of Hoboken, Belgium as the 1,400 passenger Belgian cross-channel ferry, Prinses Josephine Charlott of Ostend.
She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on 28th. September 1940 and converted by Messrs. Silley, Cox of Falmouth to an landing ship infantry (small), LSI(S), with the pennant number 4.238. Her war time complement was 207 and she could carry 250 troops.
In June 1943 she took part in the Allied landings at Salerno, Sicily. On 6th. July 1944 she took part in the Normandy Landings.
On 25th. October 1945 she was returned to her owners who repaired and converted her back to a ferry. She resumed her cross-channel service until she was sold to L. Engelen on 26th. November 1950. She was towed to a yard a Boom on 14th. December 1950 where she was broken up.
Length overall: 360 ft. (109.72 m)
Deck length: 347 ft. (105.76 m)
Beam: 46 ft. 2.5 in. (14.08 m)
Draught: 12 ft. (3.65 m)
Gross tonnage: 2,950 ton
Net tonnage: 1,381 ton
Max deadweight: 2,471 ton
Boilers: 6 x Cockerill triple expansion boilers
Turbines: 2 x geared steam turbines
Power: 15,400 shp (11,483.7 kW)
Speed: 23.5 knots
Armament:
2 x 12 pounder AA guns
2 x 2 pounder AA guns
6 x 20 mm AA guns
Builder: Cockerill, Hoboken, Belgium
Yard number: 644
Launched: 28th. June 1930
Completed: January 1931.
Scrapped: 14th. December 1950
Ft. Sgt. John Boyce RCAF, 115 Squadron, RAF
R/62091 FLIGHT SERGEANT
J.W. BOYCE
WIRELESS OPERATOR/AIR GUNNER
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
1ST SEPTEMBER 1941 AGE 25
HIS LIFE HE FREELY GAVE
FOR THE CAUSE OF RIGHT
THAT WE MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE
R/62091 Flight Sergeant John William Boyce, RCAF, 115 Sqn. RAF.
The son of Albert William and Amy Isabel Boyce, nephew of Dorothy A. Daniels of Belton, Norfolk.
Died on 1st. September 1941, aged 25. The cause of death is unknown.
Buried in Grave 21 L at St. Mary's churchyard, Blundeston, Suffolk.
Commemorated on Page 24 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance of the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
115 Sqn. was reformed at RAF Marham in Norfolk on 15th. June 1937 and by the outbreak of the Second World War it was equipped with the Vickers Wellington bomber. The squadron was declared operational on the first day of the war. In April 1940 the squadron made the RAF's first mainland bombing raid of the war, bombing the German held Norwegian airfield at Stavanger. At the time of John's death the squadron was flying the Wellington Mk.Ic version, still from Marham.
As a consequence of their continuous service with Bomber Command throughout the war, 115 Squadron dropped the second greatest tonnage of bombs, approximately 23,000 tons, of any RAF squadron as well as participating in the third highest number of raids.
However, as a direct result of their almost continuous availability, 115 Squadron suffered the highest losses of any squadron in Bomber Command and were the only squadron to lose more than 200 aircraft during the war.
The card attached to the wreath reads:
In Remembrance
My cousin Jack
Who lost his life in a country
far from his home Canada
R.C.A.F.
My brother Richard (Jack's cousin)
He served in the Royal Navy
and gave his life for all.
He lies in the Catania Cemetery, Sicily
R.N.
Richard was:
P/JX 329492 Able Seaman
Richard Albert Frank Jewson, H.M.S. Princess Josephine Charlotte, Royal Navy.
The son of Richard Edward and Ethel Sarah Jewson (born in Blundeston in 1899) of Carshalton, Surrey.
Died on 12th July 1943, aged 19.The cause of death is unknown.
Buried in Grave II. F. 4 at Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy.
The personal Inscription on the headstone reads:
LORD, MAKE THE NATIONS SEE
THAT MEN SHOULD BROTHERS BE
THE WIDE WORLD O'ER
HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte was completed in January 1931 for the Belgian Marine Administration's Ostend fleet by Cockerill of Hoboken, Belgium as the 1,400 passenger Belgian cross-channel ferry, Prinses Josephine Charlott of Ostend.
She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy on 28th. September 1940 and converted by Messrs. Silley, Cox of Falmouth to an landing ship infantry (small), LSI(S), with the pennant number 4.238. Her war time complement was 207 and she could carry 250 troops.
In June 1943 she took part in the Allied landings at Salerno, Sicily. On 6th. July 1944 she took part in the Normandy Landings.
On 25th. October 1945 she was returned to her owners who repaired and converted her back to a ferry. She resumed her cross-channel service until she was sold to L. Engelen on 26th. November 1950. She was towed to a yard a Boom on 14th. December 1950 where she was broken up.
Length overall: 360 ft. (109.72 m)
Deck length: 347 ft. (105.76 m)
Beam: 46 ft. 2.5 in. (14.08 m)
Draught: 12 ft. (3.65 m)
Gross tonnage: 2,950 ton
Net tonnage: 1,381 ton
Max deadweight: 2,471 ton
Boilers: 6 x Cockerill triple expansion boilers
Turbines: 2 x geared steam turbines
Power: 15,400 shp (11,483.7 kW)
Speed: 23.5 knots
Armament:
2 x 12 pounder AA guns
2 x 2 pounder AA guns
6 x 20 mm AA guns
Builder: Cockerill, Hoboken, Belgium
Yard number: 644
Launched: 28th. June 1930
Completed: January 1931.
Scrapped: 14th. December 1950