Second World War

Leonard was born in 1884 and in 1940 was living on the Doddinghurst Hall Estate and working as a law clerk in London. He was killed in an air raid in Holborn on October 8th, 1940.
He is buried in Holborn.

Frederick, who was the oldest of the Bixby children, was born in 1902. He served in the 21st Bomb Disposal Company of the Royal Engineers and died on September 23rd, 1945, whilst on duty at Billingford Barracks in Norfolk as a result of a collision with an American army truck. He is buried in the City of London Cemetery at Manor Park.

Matilda was born in 1899 and married George Curme in 1925. Their son, Dennis, was born at 41, Barnby Street in the East End of London in 1931. Her parents, Frank and Louisa Tozer, bought a weekend home, ‘The Hut’ in Peartree Green, Doddinghurst, in the early 1930s. Matilda and Dennis would have visited regularly, especially after war broke out as George Curme was abroad serving with Royal Army Service Corps. On February 1st, 1945, a V2 rocket hit Barnby Street. Matilda and Dennis were amongst the 29 people killed by the bomb. They are buried in All Saints’ churchyard next to the grave of Matilda’s father who died in 1937. By then, her parents had moved permanently to Doddinghurst. The inscription on their gravestone reads; “In loving memory of Matilda Elizabeth Curme aged 44 years, also of her beloved son Dennis George Curme aged 13 years killed by enemy action.”

Edward was born in 1911 and after his marriage to Grace Cole in 1941 lived in Stocks Lane (now in Kelvedon Hatch but then in the Parish of Doddinghurst). He was a sapper in the Royal Engineers. He died on October 12th, 1944 from wounds received during the North West Europe Campaign, which followed the D-Day invasion of June 1944. He is buried in Schoonselhof Cemetery near Antwerp in Belgium.

Allan was born in Scotland in 1888 and moved to Essex with his family in 1901. He became a farmer like his father and during the war he was managing Palmers Farm, Hall Lane, Shenfield, just outside the Parish of Doddinghurst. Allan was working in the fields when he was fatally injured by a V2 rocket on February 16th, 1945. He died in hospital in Brentwood. He is buried in the churchyard of St Mary’s, Shenfield. 

George was born in the early 1920s and his family came to live in a bungalow called ‘Alberta’ in Stocksfield (now in Kelvedon Hatch but then in the Parish of Doddinghurst). This was next door to ‘Perseverance’ where the Bettell-Higgins family lived (see above). George was working for a coal merchant in Brentwood, delivering to the surrounding villages, and had just returned to the depot near the railway station on January 6th, 1941, when ten bombs were dropped in the vicinity during an air raid. He was fatally injured and died the following day in Highwood Hospital. He is buried in All Saints’ churchyard

Harry was born in 1880. In 1944 he was living with his wife at 10, I.O.U. cottages opposite Crown Corner (in Kelvedon Hatch but then just outside Parish of Doddinghurst). On December 11th, 1944, he was working at Place Farm in Doddinghurst when he was hit and killed by an aircraft piloted by a young Australian flying from RAF Manston to RAF North Weald. The engine had cut out and there was nothing the pilot could have done to avoid a forced landing. Harry is buried in the St Nicholas’ churchyard, Kelvedon Hatch.