Biography

Family background

Anthony Costello Page was born on the 19th January 1904, in or near Aldershot, the son of Frederick and Annie Page. Frederick was a long time soldier serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). He had served in the UK, in Gibraltar and through two trips to South Africa, one during the Boer War. Frederick served as a cook in the RAMC. Anthony was born between his father's two trips to South Africa. From January 1907 to April 1910 Frederick was posted to Blumfontain, South Africa, and his wife and children went with him, Anthony attending No. 1 Garrison Infants' school in Tempe. On his return to the UK Frederick and his family moved to other barracks and on census day 1911, they were living in married quarters at the RAMC Barracks on Grosvenor Road, Westminster. Frederick was promoted through the ranks and eventually became a Staff Sergeant.

At some stage, Anthony attended St. Xavier's College in Clapham, London. In 1921, Frederick was still in the army, now living at The Royal Hospital in Chelsea, with his wife, Annie, and three children, Anthony, and his sisters Angela and Margaret. Frederick was described at the time as a Master Cook while Anthony was a student studying in the area of Wireless and Cable at the London Telegraph Training College. This was the start of Anthony's career in the electrical industry including time in workshops. At some stage probably in the 1920's Anthony was employed in electrical roles in Madeira and St. Vincent. The Outward Passenger Lists for January 1923 lists the 18-year old Mr A.C. Page of 20 West Court, Royal Hospital Chelsea as travelling second class to Madeira on the 19th January 1923 on the Union Castle ship Kenilworth Castle from Southampton. He lived and worked in Madeira until 1926, and then returned to the UK and we find his name on the Incoming Passenger Lists for the 14th June 1926, when he disembarked in Southampton from the Union Castle ship Saxon from Madeira. He gave his occupation as Cable Operator and his new address on return to the UK as 20, West Court, Royal Hospital Chelsea.

In the late 1920's and early 1930's Anthony remained living in the barracks with his parents at 20 West Court, No. 6 Royal Hospital Chelsea being on the electoral rolls at that address with his father and mother and two sisters in 1929 to 1932. At that point Anthony moved away from his parents to make a life in Yorkshire. In 1933, 1935, 1936 and 1937 he appears on the electoral roll at Overdale, Margaret's Avenue, Bardsey and we think he was employed by The Yorkshire Electric Power Company.

In 1938, on the 15th January 1938, Anthony Costello Page married Margaret Alice Hewett (1903-1968) at the Church of Immaculate Conception in Chesterfield. Anthony and Margaret were on the 1939 electoral roll at both 29 Kelcliffe Lane, Aireborough near Guiseley and 6 Compton Terrace in Collingham, during 1939 - the start of Anthony Page's association with Collingham. In the 1939 National Registration roll for Collingham, Anthony is described as a lighting engineer but also as a sergeant with a service number 2577752 in the Royal Signals with No. 2 Anti aircraft Company. Anthony's service record reveals a few more facts.

Service record

Anthony Page enlisted in the Territorial Army before the war on the 14th March 1939 in Leeds and joined the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Divisional Signals. He underwent rapid promotion to Corporal and then Sergeant, and by 25th June 1939 had joined the army under the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces Act of 1939. After the war had started, Anthony was mobilised on the 22nd September 1939, and on the 1st October he was posted to the 7th Anti-Aircraft Divisional Signals in Leeds. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the same unit on the 29th November 1939. The 7th Anti-Aircraft Division had been created in 1939 by Anti-Aircraft Command to control the anti-aircraft (AA) defences of North East England, Yorkshire and Humberside. The division's exact responsibilities were still being worked out when war broke out. The Divisional headquarters (HQ) was established at Newcastle upon Tyne on 16 September. The structure for the signals for the Division were the responsibility of 7th AA Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals (RCS) which was formed in 1939 at Darlington.

On the 11th December 1940, Anthony was posted to 10 Anti-Aircraft Divisional Signals and by 6th January 1941 he had been promoted to Acting Captain and had been appointed as Adjutant. The 10th Anti-Aircraft Division (10th AA Division) was an air defence formation of the British Army during the early years of the Second World War. It defended Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire during The Blitz and the Baedeker Blitz. It was one of five new divisions created on 1 November 1940 by Anti-Aircraft Command to control the expanding anti-aircraft (AA) defences of the United Kingdom. The division was given responsibility for the air defence of East and West Yorkshire and the Humber Estuary. The divisional headquarters (HQ) was at York.

At the time the 10th AA Division was created, the industrial towns of the UK were under regular attack by night, to which the limited AA defences replied as best they could. West Yorkshire, despite its important industrial facilities, steelworks, aircraft and ordnance factories, was at a considerable distance from the Luftwaffe's bases and was less often raided than coastal targets and The Midlands. Nevertheless, in the 10th AA Division's area, Sheffield was badly bombed on 12 and 15 December 1940 (the Sheffield Blitz), Leeds on 14 March 1941 (the Leeds Blitz), Hull on 18 March (the Hull Blitz) and on 7 and 8 May, when Sheffield was also hit again. Signals for the 10th AA Division were run by 10th AA Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals (RCS) which formed at York in November 1940 and Anthony must have been posted to the unit not long after its formation. In spring 1942, a new phase in the air campaign began with the so-called Baedeker Blitz mainly directed against undefended British cities. In the 10th AA Division's area, York was accurately hit on 28 April, Hull on 19 May and 31 July, and Grimsby on 29 May. The severity of the raid on Hull on 19 May was lessened when many bombs were aimed at a fire started by incendiary bombs landing on an AA site outside the city.

The increased sophistication of communications for Gun Operations Rooms (GORs) and liaison with the RAF Sectors was reflected in the growth of support units such as Divisional Signals and a the increasing use of women in non-combatant roles such was signals saw the employment of women in 10th AA Divisional Signals and its redesignation, on the 12th June 1942, as 10th Anti-Aircraft Divisional Mixed Signals Unit [10 AAD(M) SU] and Anthony's service record reflects this change showing he was now formally attached to 10 AAD(M) SU.

In October 1942 a reorganisation of AA Command saw the AA divisions disbanded and replaced by a smaller number of AA Groups more closely aligned with the groups of RAF Fighter Command. The 10th AA Division, which had been at Sand Hutton, outside York, but was by now at Leeds, merged with 2nd AA Division to form 5th AA Group based at Nottingham and cooperating with No. 12 Group RAF. Again this reorganisation is reflected in Anthony's service record, showing him on the strength of Number 5 Group (Mixed) Signals Unit. He stayed with this unit for a few years.

On the 31st July 1944, Anthony was posted to Anti-Aircraft Signals Training School (Northern Area) as Commandant and Chief Instructor but after only 2-3 months, on the 8th October 1944, he was posted back to 5 Anti-Aircraft Group (Mixed) Signals Unit.

Early 1945 was a busy time for Anthony. He was promoted to Temporary Major and was drafted ready to go overseas. This involved temporary postings through reserve divisions and 14 days embarkation leave, before on the 14th April 1945 he embarked in Liverpool and was taken on the strength of Central Mediterranean Force (CMF) in Italy. In June 1945, Anthony was posted to 15 Line of Communication Signals Unit, but a month later the war in Europe was over and Anthony headed back to the UK around 22nd July 1945, disembarking on the 4th August 1945. He was given a long period of release leave from 7th August until the 1st October 1945 and he was released from the army on the 2nd October. He took some of his leave in Collingham, but moved first on release to The Clinic, Leeds Road, Tadcaster.

After the war

After the war, Anthony Costello Page returned to Collingham. He appears on the electoral roll at 6 Compton Terrace, Collingham in 1947, and then with his wife Margaret Alice in 1948 at The Clinic, Leeds Road, Tadcaster. By 1951 they had settled back in Collingham being on the electoral roll there at Briardene, 5 Compton Terrace from 1951 to 1960.

Anthony's first wife, Margaret Alice Page, died in the first quarter of 1968, and Anthony remarried, to Maude Mary McGovern, about a year later.

Anthony Costello Page died in a Harrogate Nursing Home on the 22nd November 1992, and his second wife, Maude, died a couple of years later on the 23rd May 1994.

Biography last updated 07 September 2024 13:31:09.