Wilfred & Roderick Donner plaque - St Anne - Ellerker, East Riding of Yorkshire - Specific Veteran Memorials on Waymarking.com

A brass memorial plaque in St Anne's church, Ellerker, dedicated to brothers Wilfred Bates Donner and Roderick William Donner, both killed in WWII.

The plaque reads -
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF
WILFRED BATES DONNER
1909 - 1943
AND HIS BROTHER
RODERICK WILLIAM DONNER
1913 - 1945
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945
Lwst we forget

"Wilfred Bates Donner • 1909 – 1943

Mrs Eliza Jane (Jenny) Donner was the headmistress of Ellerker School. She was born in Twickenham in 1883 and married Frank Victor Donner in Barrow on Humber in 1908. Her father had been born in Canada and was a warrant officer in the British army when he died in India when Jenny was only seven years old.

Her husband, Frank Victor Donner, was a commercial traveller for a chemical company but at the outbreak of hostilities he volunteered for the army and was a sergeant in the 1st battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment in the First World War. He died in France in 1916. They had only been married for eight years and Jenny was left on her own with four young children, three boys and a girl. She had trained as a teacher and in 1928 was appointed headmistress at Ellerker School. Jenny and her family lived in Church House Ellerker and the three boys played for the village football team with some success. At the outbreak of war all three sons signed up to join the RAF.

Wilfred Bates Donner was born in Barrow on Humber in 1909. During the war he was a Sergeant serving in 203 squadron based in North Africa and the Mediterranean. They flew Martin Baltimore aircraft, light bombers which were also used for reconnaissance and were very cramped and difficult to move around in. Wilfred was flying one of these aircraft when it was shot down on the 10th July 1943 and he was killed. His body was never recovered and he, like George Rudd, is commemorated on the Alamein memorial."

SOURCE - (visit link)

"Roderick William Donner • 1913 – 1945

Roderick William Donner was born in Barrow on Humber in 1913. He volunteered for the RAFVR and was a Flying Officer posted to 626 squadron flying Lancaster bombers out of RAF Wickenby in Lincolnshire. He died on the night of 22nd February 1945 whilst serving as navigator in a Lancaster which was shot down over Germany. He is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery which is in Western Germany close to the Dutch border. He was married to Joyce and they lived in Bognor Regis.

Jenny Donner’s third son Frank Donner also served in the RAF and returned home safely. Nothing is known of his service record."

SOURCE - (visit link)

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