Eric Bakewell was born circa 1916, (Flintshire (Mold) HAW/21A/42), the son of Leonard & Esther Bakewell, (nee Gould) who had married in a Civil Ceremony at Hawarden in 1913 (Flintshire (Mold)HAW/04/61).
We see the family living at 61, Brookside, Garden City, Queensferry, Nr. Chester in the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June that year. Leonard Bakewell was 30 years and 1 month old, he had been born in Moxley, Staffordshire and was a ‘Beakerdown’ at John Summers and Sons, Hawarden Bridge Steelworks, Shotton, but was ‘Out of work.’ His wife Esther Bakewell was 33 years and 3 months old and had been born in Ashton Makerfield, Lancashire. Their son were Ivor Bakewell age 5 years and 10 months, Eric Bakewell, 4 years, and 9 months and Alwyne Bakewell, 2 years and 9 months old, all had been born in Queensferry, Flintshire.
Sadly, Esther died in 1923 (Flintshire (Mold) HAW/15A/31) and Leonard remarried in 1927 at St. Ethelwold’s Church, Shotton, (Flintshire (Mold) C115/04/E89) to Amelia Elizabeth Budworth.
They married on the 26th of February 1927 and Leonard Bakewell was 35, a widower and Ironworker, his address was 61, Brookside, Garden City, his father was John Thomas Bakewell, Assembler. His bride was Amelia Elizabeth Budworth, 27 and a spinster, her address was 9, Mona Villas, Queensferry and her father was Thomas Budworth, a Steel Smelter. Their witnesses were Thomas Budworth, Elsie E. Budworth and H.J. Biggs.
I do not know about Eric’s childhood or teenage years, but I find the family on the 1939 National Register which was taken on the 29th of September 1939. They were living at 52, Station Road, Queensferry, Flintshire. Leonard Bakewell’s date of birth was given as the 29th of May 1891, Ameilia Elizabeth’s date of birth was the 9th of July 1899. Ivor Bakewell, a Cinema Projectionist and single, was born the 25th of August 1915, Eric Bakewell, a Milk Roundsman, single, had been born on the 19th of September 1916, Alwyn Bakewell, single and a Re-Shears man had been born on the 27th of September 1918. I think that Amelia Elizabeth’s mother, Sarah Budworth, a widow, was doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties” and had been born on the 9th of June 1873.
The Royal Welsh Enlistment Register shows that Eric enlisted on the 15th of March 1940 and was transferred to the South Staffs. Regt on the 23rd of June 1940.
1st/2nd June 1940, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers were evacuated from Dunkirk and then there was reorganisation on the 14th of July 1940, Eric was transferred to the South Staffordshire Regiment. on the 23rd of June 1940, so he must have been in that reorganisation. I doubt if he would have been in Dunkirk as he only enlisted or was conscripted on the 15th of March 1940. However, he would have done 6 weeks training, by the end of April, so he might have been in the Battalion that was sent to France in April 1940 with the South Staffordshire Regiment. I don’t know. Any information would be appreciated.
If he did, then he survived that, then went on to another battle – the Second Battle of Odon, with Operation Pomegranate.
There is a Casualty Form (10), with a list of the 1/6th South Staffordshire Regt. Casualties, as well as other regiments, which shows that Eric was one of 4 men who died on the 18th of July 1944 on that Casualty list and from his Regiment.
Eric is named on the website:- http://www.fallenheroesofnormandy.org/Servicemen/Regiment/98 and http://www.fallenheroesofnormandy.org/Servicemen/Detail/12107
To help give an insight to what Eric did on that day – Many thanks to the website: – Taken from https://www.morssweb.com/59div/?bnoyers#:~:text=On%2018th%20July%2C%20at%201000,tanks%2C%20crocodiles%20and%20armoured%20engineers.
Operation Pomegranate, during the Second Battle of the Odon, comprised a series of attacks by 30 Corps toward Noyers. Its intent was to divert German attention as 2nd Army prepared Operation GOODWOOD (July 18), and to gain ground where possible.
The Battle
[Adapted from 59th Division, Its War Story]
On 14th July the division concentrated in the area Loucelles — Cristot — Fontenay le Pesnel; 49 Division was on our right front and 53 Division on our left. The Noyers area was strongly held by infantry and tanks, and 49 Division had had heavy fighting two weeks before in capturing Fontenay and Rauray.
At ‘H’ hr, 0530 hours on 16th July, the troops of Phase I crossed their start lines according to plan; 197 Brigade on the right attacking with 5 East Lancashire and 177 Brigade on the left with 1/6 South Staffordshire and 5 South Staffordshire. Our troops were fighting in the real bocage for the first time. 5 East Lancashire soon met heavy opposition, their commanding officer was wounded and it was not until about 0800 hours that they reached their first objective east of Vendes and captured part of it. Here they remained, unable to complete the job, until at 1430 hours a strong enemy counter-attack, supported by tanks, overran their right company and forced the remainder of the battalion back to their start line.
On the left, 1/6 South Staffordshire captured Brettevillette by 0645 hours with heavy casualties, finding the place lousy with well-laid anti-personnel and anti-tank mines; and by 0845 hours they were in Queudeville. Two-thirds of the tanks supporting 1/6 South Staffords had gone up on one of our own minefields, which our predecessors had promised, but failed, to lift; and many of our troops had lost direction in the thick dawn mist. 5 South Staffordshire captured the orchards west of Grainville sur Odon, and then Les Nouillons by midday, which meant that all 177 Brigade’s first objectives had at last been taken. About 1330 hours the flails started to breach the large enemy minefield at Queudeville.
In view of the lack of progress on our right flank, the heavy loss of tanks in the two squadrons supporting Phase I, and of the evident strength of the enemy at Noyers, Phase II took some time to mount. But at 1730 hours 177 Brigade launched 2/6 South Staffordshire against Noyers and 45 minutes later 6 North Staffshire (under command of 177 Brigade) attacked Haut des Forges. By bitter fighting 2/6 South Staffordshire forced their way into the village, but were later obliged to withdraw to point 126, just north of the station. 6 North Staffordshire met with less opposition and captured and held their objective at Haut des Forges. During this day 177 Brigade captured 369 prisoners, all from 277 Division. On 197 Brigade front 2/5 Lancashire Fusiliers attacked at 2230 hours, directed on to the Phase I objective; but the enemy mortaring on this flank was particularly heavy and accurate, and they failed to make any material progress.
The next day (17th July) the main feature of the fighting was a series of attacks by 177 Brigade on Noyers. An attack by 2/6 South Staffordshire and one company of 5 South Staffordshire at first light almost reached the railway station; but it could get no further and remained more or less pinned there till 1330 hours when they were withdrawn to reorganise. During the afternoon 5 South Staffordshire attacked Noyers from the north-east, but barely penetrated the outskirts. At about this time 1/6 South Staffordshire started to advance from Brettevillette towards Bordel, but met with violent resistance. After dark all troops drew back a little from Noyers, so that it could be shelled and mortared.
On 197 Brigade front 1/7 Royal Warwickshire, supported by 1 Northamptonshire Yeomanry & crocodiles, successfully attacked and held the original Phase I objective, crossing their start line at 1230 hours which was good going for the mounting of a rather complicated attack. Later, to strengthen this flank, 176 Brigade attacked towards Bordel, with limited success. During the night headquarters 1/7 Royal Warwickshire was hit, quite by chance, by two large bombs, which caused serious casualties.
On 18th July, at 1000 hours 177 Brigade put in a full-scale attack on Noyers, with 1/6 and 5 South Staffordshire supported by tanks, crocodiles and armoured engineers. This attack was pressed with great vigour and bravery, but it could make little progress against the determined enemy resistance, and five of our tanks were knocked out, the squadrons having been already seriously depleted by mine casualties in the two previous days’ fighting. Yet another attack in the afternoon also failed and at nightfall all troops were again withdrawn so that Noyers could be subjected to another night’s shelling.
On the right 1/7 Royal Warwickshire worked their way forward to occupy Ferme de Guiberon by nightfall; and 49 Division reported enemy withdrawals on their front. In the centre 176 Brigade (7 South Staffordshire) attacked towards Bordel, capturing and holding the whole area up to la Senevière. They met few enemy but were heavily shelled and mortared.
During the night 176 Brigade relieved 197 Brigade, so that it could fall back into reserve, 7 Royal Norfolk relieving 1/7 Royal Warwickshire at Ferme de Guiberon, point 124 and Landet, the two latter having been occupied by 1/7 Royal Warwickshire after dark. Early on the 19th 49 Division occupied Vendes, the enemy having withdrawn. Dawn patrols from 177 Brigade, however, found Noyers still occupied and planning was started for a set-piece attack upon it by 197 Brigade. But the Army Group plan no longer required us to press so heavily against Noyers, and at 1230 hours the Corps Commander ordered us to give up for the present the idea of capturing Noyers, though we were to continue to make our presence felt by vigorous patrolling over the whole front.
Though the battle had yielded no prize like Caen, casualties had been almost as severe: 1,250 killed, wounded and missing in the division in the three days fighting, including, for example, 167 in 2/5 Lancashire Fusiliers. We had taken 575 prisoners. The enemy opposing us were 276 and 277 Infantry Divisions, supported by elements of 2 and 9 SS Panzer Divisions. They contained Austrians, Poles and Russians (one only 15 years old), as well as Germans; though good fighters they were prepared to surrender when over-run.
Eric was to meet his future bride Teresa in Northern Ireland and married her 14 months before he was killed on the 18th of July 1944, he had only been in Normandy three weeks, according to the Chester Chronicle 12th of August 1944.
Eric was loved and remembered by his family as his name was put forward to be added to the WW2 War Memorial at Hawarden.
Eric is also remembered on the British Normandy Memorial on Column 188.
