Historical Information (Source: Wikipedia)

"To the memory of K.R. Lucas 145 Sqdn and D.E. Pinkney 662 Sqdn and all the allied, killed for our liberty."

Pilot Officer (Pilot) LUCAS, KENNETH RICHARD  -  Service Number 41854

Died 19/05/1940

145 Sqdn. Royal Air Force

He is buried in the Communal Cemetery Extension, Grave: II G 2

Pilot Officer Kenneth Richard Lucas (Service number: 41854) Kenneth Richard Lucas served as a pilot officer in the 145 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, enlisting in the UK since he was too young to enlist in Canada. He was the son of Richard and Fern Lucas. He was shot down on May 19, 1940 over the community of Warloy-Baillon in the Somme region of France at the age of 19. Hurricane N2598. He was the first St. Thomas man to be killed in WWII and the first allied soldier killed in this area. In his honour, a monument was inaugurated in France in 2005 during a formal ceremony and flypast in the presence of family members, near the cemetery where he lies. His plane was recovered and restored by local historians, and several of his belongings are on display in the local museum. His sacrifice was honoured with the founding of the I.O.D.E. Kenneth Lucas Chapter, chartered in 1940.

Captain PINKNEY, DAVID EDRIDGE  -  Service Number 78421

Died 01/09/1944 Aged 25

Royal Artillery attd. 662 A.O.P. Sqdn. Royal Air Force

Son of David Renny Pinkney and Daisy Pinkney, of Sunderland, Co. Durham.

INSCRIPTION: OUR HAPPY WARRIOR

He is buried in the Communal Cemetery Extension, Grave: II G 1

Captain David Pinkney it would appear had gone ahead in a vehicle looking for a suitable area to act as an airfield. He arrived in the village of Warloy Baillon on 1st September not realising that there were still Germans within the village.  Running into a party Pinkney managed to stop his vehicle allowing his passenger to escape but he himself was killed by machine-gun fire.