Lightoller, Herbert Brian.

Lightoller, Herbert Brian, born 28-04-1908, in Chorley, Chorley Borough, Lancashire, England , to Commander Charles Herbert Lightoller, who was a British mariner and naval officer who was the second officer on board the RMS Titanic

. During the ship’s sinking, and as the officer in charge of loading passengers into lifeboats on the port side, Lightoller strictly enforced the women and children only protocol, not allowing any male passengers to board the lifeboats unless they were needed as auxiliary seamen. He was the most senior officer to survive the disaster. Lightoller served as a commanding officer in the Royal Navy during World War I and was twice decorated for gallantry. During World War II, in retirement, he voluntarily provided his personal yacht, the Sundowner, and sailed her as one of the “little ships” in the Dunkirk evacuation.  a young Richard & his brother Roger with their father Charles. His mother Iowa Sylvania Zillah “Sylvia”, born Hawley-Wilson Lightoller, born 16-07-1885 in Australia, who died 03-10-1969, age 84,in Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London, England.

Herbert had two brothers and two sisters, Lieutenant Fredericc Roger Lightoller (1906-1945),  Richard Trevor Lightoller ( 1908-1972), Sylvia Mavis Lightoller (1913-2004) and Claire Doreen Lightoller ( 1915-1994). Richard joined the army and gained the rank of lieutenant colonel, serving under General Bernard Montgomery’s command for the duration of the war. Richard was one of the British soldiers trapped at Dunkirk in 1940; but was rescued. His youngest brother, Herbert, died on the 2nd day of WWII when his plane was shot down, and his eldest brother, Roger,

was killed toward the war’s end while commanding during the Granville raid whilst commanding a Motor Torpedo Boat, a type of boat similar to the kind his father had commanded during the First World War.

Brian was a pilot in the RAF and flew a Blenheim Bomber, part of 107 Squadron Bomber Command. under command of Air Chief Marshal Sir Basil Edward Embry, GCB, KBE, DSO & Three Bars, DFC, AFC (28-02-1902 – 07-12-1977)

Death and burial ground of Lightoller, Herbert Brian.

In the first days of WWII, Bomber Command sent out 15 Blenheims and 14 Wellington Bombers to attack German warships. Brian’s crew left for Wilhelmshaven, on the afternoon of 4 September in the second wave of bombers, where the German cruiser Emden had been spotted during reconnaissance operations. It is believed that Brian’s crew didn’t get a chance of firing upon the Emden and instead was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. 107 Squadron lost four of its five planes on the raid. Brian was among the first British casualties. At first, details were sketchy and it was hoped that Brian had survived but official German reports were received two months later confirming that Brian and his crew had all been killed. They were initially buried with full military honours in the Naval Garrison Cemetery in Wilhelmshaven but Brian and his crew were later exhumed and reburied in the British Military Cemetery at Oldenburg. The following account by Charles details how young Brian, through conversations with his father before he was killed, contributed to saving men of the BEF during Dunkirk. My youngest son flew a Blenheim and had at different times given me a whole lot of useful information about attack, defence and evasive tactics, at which he was apparently particularly good, and I attribute, in a great measure, our success in getting across to Dunkirk without a single casualty to his unwitting help.

Message(s), tips or interesting graves for the webmaster:    robhopmans@outlook.com