Born on the 21st February 1917, the birth being
registered during the March quarter 1917 in the
Marylebone R.D. -- ref: 1a/705, the son of James
William & Matilda Elizabeth Danes (nee
Hambledon).

1939 National Registration - 4 Devon Road,
Barking, Essex.   James W. Danes - Married - born:
26th August 1890 - occ: Gas Fitter.   Matilda E.
Danes - Married - born: 16th September 1891 - occ:
Domestic Unpaid Duties.   Leslie Danes - Single -
born: 21st February 1917 - occ: Brass Finisher &
Fitter.

Married Ivy Maude Berry during the December
quarter 1939 in the Ilford R.D. - ref: 4a/2106.

One of 12 Royal Engineers from 1 Engineer, Supply
Base Depot killed when a H.E. bomb landed on the
Royal Artillery Officers Mess on Hyde Road,
Ardwick where they were billeted.  Eleven of them
were killed outright, but the 12th survived, only
to be killed when he went back into the building
to search for his buddies when the remains of the
building collapsed onto him.  His body was not
recovered until the following day.

In total only nine bodies were recovered, but the
remains of three of them were never found and, in
consequence they have no known graves - their
deaths were not registered until September 1941.

Death registered during the March quarter 1941 in
the Manchester R.D.- ref: 8d/558 - aged: 21.

CWGC - Son of James William and Matilda Elizabeth
Danes; husband of Ivy Maude Danes, of Hainault.
Ilford.

Buried on the 20th March 1941.  Grave Photo on
file courtesy of Barking LSL Staff.

Due to the military losses, the war-time Censors
did a fine job with this incident and it was
'hushed up' at the time.  So fine a job did the
authorities do, that until recently the local
studies libraries had no knowledge of the
incident, not even the Royal Engineers Museum at
Chatham knew anything about it.   Their names were
as follows:-

Benjamin Harry BROUGHTON
Eric John Berkley CLAYTON
Leslie DANES
William Reginald DEAKIN
George Wilfred HIMBURY
James Bird HODGSON
Charles C. HOLMAN
William Hugh MILLER
Isaiah MOSS
Henry William Abram ROBERTS
Jack Edward SHELDRAKE
Dennis Henry Wilfred THAYER