Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 258

W ORLD W AR II

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR

Name JOHN DUNCAN BROOKING SNELL (Capt)

Lef SES 1941

Roll Number 3255 Died 08:08:1944

Set / House B

Arrive SES 1937

Where THE ORNE, NORMANDY, FRANCE Serving with THE KING’S OWN LANCASTER REG

Age 21

Buried Banneville-La-Campagne War Cemetery, Calvados, France Remembered Great Ballard Roll of Honour, The Wareham Town Memorial at St. Martin’s Church, Wareham and The St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial Born in Dorset 1923, the son of a medical doctor. ‘He was determined to be a soldier. He overcame a disability in hearing by refusing to admit it. At School he was a boy who made his way by sheer determination and by going hard. Both on the cricket and rugby fields he played as though he enjoyed playing and showed infinite zest in everything he did and refused to be depressed by disappointment’ (Chronicle). He was a House Prefect, member of the 2nd Rugby Football XV and the 2nd Cricket XI, Hockey XI 1941, Sergeant JTC and in Form Vd. He joined up as soon as he left School, as a Trooper in The Royal Armoured Corps, later transferring, with a commission, to the 107th Battalion of the King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) in 1942. He eventually reached the rank of Captain. He was killed on the River Orne in Normandy, France in August 1944 when his ‘Churchill’ tank was destroyed by enemy fire. His regiment lost over 22 tanks on this date, supporting the 176th Brigade of the 59th Division, following a counter attack by German armour.