THE VILLAGERS OF COLLINGHAM AND LINTON WHO SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO

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This site commemorates the men and women of Collingham and Linton who served during World War 2.
Jackson, Beryl Vivienne
(1921-2004)
 
World War 2 medal rolls are not available. The medal ribbons shown above are those we believe would have been awarded.

Rank and Unit at End of World War Two

Rank

Service Women's Royal Navy

Unit HMS Lanka

Regiment Women's Royal Naval Service

Connection with Collingham, Linton or Micklethwaite and reason for inclusion on this web site
  • Lived in Collingham or Linton immediately prewar or during the war
    (Usually taken from 1938 electoral roll or 1939 National Registration roll)
  • Named as a Voter on the 1945 or 1946 Service List Electoral Roll for Collingham or Linton
  • Address in 1939 or 1945/46: Greystones, Collingham
    (taken from either the 1939 National Registration or the 1945 and/or 1946 service electoral rolls)

Biography

Family background

Beryl Vivienne Jackson was born on the 3rd February 1921, daughter of Norman Wallace Jackson (b. 1892) and his wife, Elsie Jackson (b. 1895). Census day in 1921 was postponed from 24th April and was held on the 19th June 1921. On that day the four and a half month old Beryl Jackson was recorded living at The Croft, Gledhow Wood Road, in Leeds with her parents and a domestic servant, the 21-year old Kathleen Nora Finnigan. Beryl's mother, Elsie, was a housewife, described as having 'home duties' and her father, Norman, was a timber merchant. Although Norman was a British citizen, he had been born in New York.

The Jackson family moved out of Leeds and into Collingham sometime before 1933, as they are recorded on the electoral rolls for Collingham each year from 1933 to 1939. Beryl was, of course, too young to have a vote and to appear on the electoral roll, so the next record of Beryl is on the 1939 National Register. By that time Norman, Elsie and Beryl were living at Greystones, Collingham. Norman was now described as a manufacturer's agent working in the area of electrical accessories. Beryl was then aged 18 and was working as a private secretary - typist for Toc H. Toc H is an international Christian movement. The name is an abbreviation for Talbot House, a soldiers' rest and recreation centre founded in December 1915 at Poperinghe, Belgium. It aimed to promote Christianity and was named in memory of Gilbert Talbot, son of Lavinia Talbot and Edward Talbot, then Bishop of Winchester, who had been killed at Hooge in July 1915. Talbot House was styled as an "Every Man's Club", where all soldiers were welcome, regardless of rank. It was "an alternative for the 'debauched' recreational life of the town". Branches of Toc H were established in many countries around the world. Toc H members seek to ease the burdens of others through acts of service.

Service must have been a common theme for the Jackson family around 1939. Beryl's father had served in the RAF in the First World War, and in 1939 he was a member of the Observer Corps and on the Emergency List of RAF Officers; while Elsie was working in the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) area listed under 'First Aid' and 'canteen'. At some time after 1939, Beryl also served the country joining the Women's Royal Navy Service (WRNS).

Service record

We do not know what role Beryl had in the WRNS or where she was trained. However, a clue about part of her service is to be found in a newspaper article of the 13th March 1945:

The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Mercury March 13th 1945

Forthcoming Marriages

The marriage will take place at Christ Church, Columbo, Ceylon, on Saturday, March 24, 1945, between Sub-Inspector T.O. (Pat) McKITTRICK, of the Ceylon (European) Police, son of Mrs. G. McKittrick, of Belfast, and BERYL V. JACKSON, W.R.N.S., of H.M.S. Lanka, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman W. Jackson, of Greystones, Collingham, nr. Leeds.

 

So it seems that Beryl Jackson had been posted in the WRNS to Colombo in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, and had met and married Thomas Orr 'Pat' McKittrick, a policeman. She served at HMS Lanka, the main naval shore base in Ceylon.

After the war

After the war, Beryl reappears on the electoral rolls for Collingham in 1945 and 1946, registered at Greystones, Collingham, as Beryl V McKittrick. However, Tom and Beryl did not settle in the area and a love of Sri Lanka must have driven them to emigrate to that country. We do not have exact records of their lives after 1946, but can track some of their family events by following them in the 'Outward' and 'Inward' Passenger lists for ships departing and arriving at ports in the UK. These records allow us to track Tom and Beryl leaving and re-entering the country. However the records did not always record full names and it becomes more difficult to follow their comings and goings. However we have found a number of cases where we can be sure that they arrived or left the UK.

Thomas Orr McKittrick, aged 26, a police officer, from Greystones, Collingham travelled 'B' class on the Almanzora from Southampton to Columbo on the 4th July 1946. With him was Beryl Vivienne McKittrick, aged 25. This seems to be Thomas and Beryl's first journey to their new lives in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). In February 1949, Beryl made a visit to the UK from Sri Lanka, but this time she travelled 1st Class on the MV Derbyshire arriving in London on the 19th February. This time Beryl was not accompanied by Thomas, but instead travelled with their first child, a daughter named Susan Elizabeth McKittrick (later records show her date of birth as 22nd August 1948). Their address in the UK was given as Greystones, Collingham. They stayed in the UK for almost 20 weeks and on the 8th July 1949, Beryl and Susan returned to Sri Lanka, travelling 1st Class, from Liverpool to Columbo on the MV Derbyshire.

In February 1952, the McKittrick family again returned to the UK for an extended stay. The records show Mr T McKittrick, along with Mrs McKittrick and Misses S. and C. McKittrick arrived in Southampton from Columbo on the Oronsay on the 2nd February 1952. Miss S McKittrick was 3 years old, whereas Miss C McKittrick was just 10 months old. Interestingly, Thomas' occupation on this record is no longer that of police officer, but is now given as 'planter'. This time the family stayed together in the UK for 20 weeks, but then Thomas returned to Sri Lanka on his own. He travelled from London to Columbo First Class on the Orontes on the 21st June 1952, giving his occupation as a tea planter.

Beryl and the two children remained in the UK for a while longer, returning First Class from London to Columbo on the Orontes on the 27th September 1952.

Thomas returned to the UK once more, on the 13th April 1956, arriving without the rest of his family at Tilbury on the Strathenden. He again gave his occupation as a tea planter and his address in the UK as Spa Field House, Collingham. We have not found any record of him leaving the UK again, but we know he must have done so, as the whole family were recorded arriving in Southampton from Columbo on the William Ruys on the 7th September 1956. The family's names and dates of birth were given on this record as: Thomas Orr McKittrick, born 3rd March 1920 a tea planter; Beryl Vivienne McKittrick, born 3rd February 1921; Susan Elizabeth McKittrick, born 22nd August 1948; and Carol Jennifer McKittrick, born 28th February 1951. They again gave their address as Spa Field House, Collingham.

Another trip to the UK must have occurred in 1958, but we have not found records of the arrival, but on the 28th November of that year (1958) they left Tilbury docks on the SS Orsova bound for Columbo.

Arrival and departure records are available for ports only until 1960, when such records stopped being collected as more and more travel was occurring by air. We therefore have little information about the family's travels after that date. We have found that probate was granted in 1964 for the will and estate of Thomas Orr McKittrick.

Thomas Orr McKittrick of Kirklees Estate, Uda Pussellawa, Ceylon, died 20 August 1962 at Joseph Fraser Nursing Home, Columbo, Ceylon. Probate to Beryl Vivienne McKittrick, widow.

Following Thomas' death, we think that Beryl and family returned to the UK and that they settled and lived in the Scarborough area. We believe that Beryl's daughters, Susan and Carol, married in Scarborough in 1969 (to a Mr Norton) and 1972 (to Richard F Petter), respectively.

Finally there is a death record for Beryl Vivienne McKittrick in the North Yorkshire area for the first quarter of 2004.

Biography last updated 26 October 2023 21:36:55.

If you have any photographs or further details about this person we would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact us via: alan.berry@collinghamanddistrictwararchive.info