No.S/133969, Private, Horace James WILLIS
Aged 24
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Horace James Willis (Jim) was born 3rd May 1916, in Islington (1b:343) London. He was the 2nd child of William Ewart Willis and Barbara May Truelove. There were nine children Nigel, Horace (Jim), Stanley, Edna, Henry, Reggie, Eileen, Eric and Joyce, the first seven being born in London, Eric and Joyce being born in Haverhill. William Ewart Willis came from a family that had links with Haverhill dating back to the 1700s and there are many local names to be found amongst their ancestors, Nunn , Claydon and Radford are just a few examples. In the mid-1920s the family had moved to Haverhill and were living in Duddery Road later moving to Recreation Road. In 1930 Horace (Jim), aged about 14 was champion at the Council School Sports. The photo left shows Jim with Beatrice Archer the girls champion. Beatrice was the sister of another casualty, Harold Claude Archer. 
Growing up, Jim's best friend was a lad called Edward Christopher Broughton (Ted), who was also a neighbour in Duddery Road. They both worked at the International
Store in Haverhill and later both went to work in a store in London. The 1939 Register shows them both living at an address in Tokyngton Avenue, Wembley and their
occupations recorded as shop assistant (provisions).
 The Willis siblings, "Jim" on left |
| Jim served with, and died with, his best friend Edward BROUGHTON. see here In April 1941 Allied soldiers were evacuated from Greece in order to escape from German troops. At 4am on 27th April 1941, the Dutch liner SS Slamat, with 211 crew and 500 Allied troops, which included Horace, Edward and other soldiers of the Royal Army Service Corps, left Nauplia Harbour. They were too late to escape an attack by German Stukas of Jagdgeschwader 77. The Slamat sank with the loss of 193 men. Of the troops on board, around 700 were rescued by the destroyers HMS Diamond and HMS Wryneck, both of which were later bombed and sunk, drowning most of the survivors of the Slamat. In all, there was just one officer, 41 seamen and 8 soldiers saved from this triple disaster, leaving a total death toll of 843 men. Both Horace James Willis and his best friend Edward Christopher Broughton were reported as being lost at sea. They are commemorated on the Athens Memorial. On 12th September 1942, over a year after the sinking of SS Slamat, the Echo reported that:- 'Official intimation has been received this week that Edward (Ted) Christopher Broughton, only son of the late Mr Alfred Broughton of 25 Duddery Road, Haverhill, and Horace James (Jim), second son of Mr and Mrs W E Willis of 49 Recreation Road, Haverhill, must be "presumed killed in action at sea between 26th and 27th April 1941." They had previously been reported missing. In a letter to Mr Willis, the Commanding Officer wrote that the two vessels assisting in the evacuation of Allied Troops were sunk by enemy bombing and added "The unit had come safely through some very exciting experiences on its journey down from the North of Greece, and it was only that part of the unit aboard the Wryneck (36 Officers and men) which was lost."
On 12 September 1942, over a year after the sinking of SS Slamat, the Echo reported that Official intimation has been received this week that Edward (Ted)
Christopher Broughton, only son of the late Mr Alfred Broughton of 25 Duddery Road, Haverhill, and Horace James (Jim), second son of Mr and Mrs W E Willis of 49
Recreation Road, Haverhill, must be "presumed killed in action at sea between 26th-27th April 1941." |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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