Herald - Issue 423

Page 10 • The HERALD • 12th May 2022 v F @ heraldpublishing v P olar P lastics PVC-U SPECIALIST IN: l WINDOWS l DOORS l CONSERVATORIES l FASCIAS l CLADDING l GUTTERING l GLASS UNITS l WINDOW REPAIRS l FENCING & GATES www.polarplastics.co.uk Email:  sales@polarplastics.co.uk l Open 6 Days a Week l No Hard Sale Family Business l 10 Year Insurance Backed Guarantee Registered Company 10 HOLBURY PRECINCT, HOLBURY DROVE, HOLBURY TEL: (023) 8089 9611 SOLO CARS Available 24 hours, 365 days a year 023 8089 0244 023 8084 1951 FRIENDLY AND RELIABLE • Local and Any Distance • Airport & Cruise Transfers H 8 SEATER MINIBUS NOW AVAILABLE H All major credit cards accepted Estate/Saloon Cars Available H ESTABLISHED SINCE 1992 H TAXIS TAXIS NEW FOREST PLUMBING AND MAINTENANCE 24/7 LTD *YOUR LOCAL 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CALL OUT PLUMBER* We provide a wide range of plumbing services, with an established reputation for quality, service and customer satisfaction. www.newforestplumbing247.com Contact us on 07912 092557 or 023 8194 0237 newforestplumbing@yahoo.com Todd Beverley Carpentry Services Quality workmanship with over 20 years experience All Household Carpentry Undertaken including: • Kitchen/Bathroom/Bedroom fitting • Purpose Built Cupboards and Wardrobes • Internal/External Door Hanging • Solid/Laminate Flooring • Window Renovation • Decking For a friendly & reliable service you can trust call: Tel: 023 8086 0969 Mobile: 07941 021558 Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH Tales from the Graveyard of All Saints’ Church, Fawley by Patricia Hedley-Goddard, Churchyard Archivist for the ancient parish church of All Saint’s Fawley BRIAN EDWARDWOODFORD In a simple burial plot at the south east end of the graveyard, lay the remains of Brian Edward Woodford, who died in mysterious circumstances in New York. e family were a military family. e grandfather, omas William Woodford had been a sta sergeant in the Royal Army Pay Corps. At the time of Brian’s father’s birth in 1905 he was stationed in the West Indies, and Albert Edward was born in St. Lucia. Brian’s father, Albert Edward, was a sergeant in the RAF Marine section. Originally he had enlisted as a civilian, aged 18, into the exciting new military service called the Royal Air Force which had only been in existence for three years. e RAF Marine section was a branch of the RAF which operated watercra in support of RAF operations. Brian was born on 28th March 1933, the eldest son of Albert and Doris Woodford, when they lived at Benryn, Elm eld Lane, Calshot. ey also had a second son Frederick James. At that time Calshot was a ‘remote’ village, probably with a dirt track along the shingle ‘Spit’ leading to the RAF base at the mouth of the Southampton Estuary. However, as Brian grew up, he would have experienced a lot of exciting changes, with the build up to WW2 and the military movements within the area. At the age of 20, on the 29th August 1953, Brian signed on as a crewmember to the MV (motor vessel) Georgic at Southampton, which was taking immigrants to the USA, berthing in New York. He was recorded as being 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighed 125 lbs and had no visible scars. He was also able to read and write. He was signed onto the Georgic as a Plateman, a member of a crew of 578 persons. e Motor Vessel le Southampton and arrived in New York on 12th September 1953 and was expected to sail back to Southampton four days later on 16th September. Records show that Captain Alexander Fasting, the Master of the MV Georgic submitted a report to the travel control unit of New York before departure, that one seaman, Brian Edward Woodford, aged 20, a British National, was reported as a deserter as he had not signed back on the ship for its departure to Southampton. Sadly, a Death Record for New York shows that a Brian Edward Woodford, aged 20, was found dead on 17th September in Manhatten, Certi cate Number 20786, case number 7002. Unfortunately the record does not show how he died, nor when or how his body was repatriated. e burial records for All Saint’s Fawley Church show that Brian’s parents, Albert Edward and Doris Emily are buried within the graveyard, as well Frederick James Woodford. e Georgic had originally been built by Harland and Wollf in 1931 and had its Maiden voyage in 1932. From then on it had a very colourful history. In 1932 to 1934 it was the last ship built for the White Star Line, then for the following ten years it became part of the Cunard/White Star Line. Although still owned by Cunard/White Star it was sunk in a German bombing raid in July at Port Tew k in Egypt in 1941 but was salvaged by Shipbreaking Industries three months later. She was re oated and refurbished in 1942- 1944 and used by the Ministry of War Transport as a troop carrier. In 1948 she was back on the civilian transatlantic run. An interesting lm of the history of the Georgic can be seen by logging onto MV Georgic on YouTube. “My thanks to George Elliot for alerting me to this mystery, to Robin Somes for tracing the death record in New York, and as always, to my husband David for his background research. If anyone has any further information regarding this tragedy, I would be most grateful if they would pass it onto me so that I can add it to this ‘Tale’ for future generations to read”. Brian Edward Woodford’s grave at All Saint’s Fawley MV Georgic