No.23091051, Corporal, Keith Raymond HAYLOCK
Aged 19
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Keith Raymond Haylock was born on 9th July 1936 (Risbridge Q3-1936 4A:1390), son of Percy Casper and Ena Evelyn HAYLOCK (née READER)
He had five sisters (Margaret, Gill, Sandra, Jac and Tanis) In 1939 his father [5-6-1912] a tractor driver, and his mother [29-11-1916] were living at Orchard House, Steeple Bumpstead (there are 3 closed records). from http://www.friendsandrelations.com we have:- 23091051 Corporal Keith Raymond Haylock Keith was born on the 9th July 1936, the eldest (and only boy) of a family of six children and grew up in the village of Steeple Bumpstead which is situated in north west Essex. After attending the village primary school he moved on to the Secondary School across the border in Haverhill, Suffolk where he became a prefect and excelled in mathematics. Local employment in those post war years was somewhat limited and so it was that Keith went to work at the village bakery both in the bakehouse and as a roundsman. Although he was not over keen on physical activities he was an avid follower of the village football team, enjoyed a good pint and had been known to participate in cricket (left hand bat). At the age of eighteen he was duly called up for compulsory National Service, selected for the Army and joined the Royal Norfolk Regiment, Knowland Platoon, November 1954 intake at Colchester. Keith was one of those who lost their lives whilst serving in Cyprus in the Paphos forest fires up in the Trodos mountaines on the 17th June 1956 - he was only nineteen years old at the time. Although over 50 years have passed since Keith's death he is still missed and lovingly remembered by his five sisters and other family members. The Elizabeth Cross and Memorial Scroll are granted to the next of kin of regular, reserve or Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel who have died on operations, or as a result of an act of terrorism since 1 January 1948: |
| At the time EOKA, (EOKA is the acronym of the organisation's full name in Greek, Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters), who were committed to ENOSIS, or Union with Greece. This devolved into armed struggles between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots with the British Armed Forces and their bases as the main target. 371 British servicemen died and 21 British Police officers during the four years of the emergency. Whilst on patrol during Operation 'Lucky Alphonse', on 17th June 1956, where mortars were used in an attempt to flush out terrorists thought to be in the Troodos Mountain Range a forest fire was started. The men became trapped in their vehicles and 21 died. In those days servicemen's bodies were still not repatriated and so Keith was buried in Wayne's Keep military cemetery, which currently is in the UN controlled buffer zone between the Greek and Turkish sectors of Cyprus. As well as his name being added to the village memorial, Keith is named on the Armed Forces memorial (tablet 100) at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The burial took place on 20th June 1956 in a mass grave at Wayne's Keep which is currently in the UN buffer zone between the Turkish and Greek sections of the island and U.N. authorisation is needed for access.
photo from roll-of-honour.com Plaque in the Congregational Church photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Veterans UK website for full cemetery/memorial details |
