What happened in 1946 death of six Gloucestershire soldiers?

Sixty-two years ago 18-year-old Gloucestershire soldier Eric Cook was killed in an accident while training with the army.

Eric, from Wortley, near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, was one of six soldiers who drowned during an exercise in Fingringhoe, near Colchester, Essex, on August 27,1946.

Four of the others – Arthur Buckley, 24, from Gloucester, George Butcher, 22, from North Nibley, Richard Dennis Elliott, 23, from Coaley, and Samuel Govey, 18, from Stroud – were Gloucestershire men and one – Raymond Franklyn, 18, – was from Bristol.

Three days after their deaths an inquest put the blame on to the soldiers for disobeying orders.

Their families were furious that the commanding officers were absolved of any blame.

The coroner heard that none of the men received any training to go aboard the collapsible wood and canvas military assault boat, known as a Goatley, before it overturned 40 yards from the shore.

Eric Whitlock, 47, from Pontypool, Eric Cook's nephew and named after him, is determined to find out what actually happened.

He believes there was a cover-up and that the verdict of misadventure was wrong.

"If one reads the inquest details the verdict of misadventure is hard to swallow," he said.

"In these days, when the MoD are capable of being sued for not providing things like body armour to troops or for providing defective equipment, one cannot help but wonder whether today the army, or those in charge of training at Colchester Barracks, might not be facing charges of corporate manslaughter.

"I don't think a coroner today would dream of returning a verdict of misadventure but I guess 1946 was a different era – the death of young servicemen was still common place.

"Sadly the full inquest report is, as I understand it, sealed for 75 years so we will not be able to see it until 2021, but I have applied to the MoD to release papers under the Freedom of Information Act."

Mr Whitlock said the men's deaths had a profound effect on their families.

"It was bad enough for my grandparents losing their eldest son at the age of 18, on the threshold of life," he said.

"But adding to the anguish of other families was the fact that George Butcher was an only child, Arthur Buckley left behind a young wife and two daughters aged one and three years old.

"The fact that Dennis Elliott was getting married just two weeks later must have been incredibly traumatic for his parents and his fiancee Mary Groves.

"The parents of all these young men are now dead and gone, however, their siblings, and in the case of Buckley his children, still feel a sense of profound loss.

"It is senseless to talk of recriminations, compensation and blame after 62 years.

"But older members of my family still tell the harrowing story of my grandmother collapsing in shock on receiving the telegram.

"The war had just finished and parents were not meant to get this type of telegram any more. Sadly five other dear mothers had a dagger through the heart too as they read their telegrams that morning.

"Did these flowers of Gloucestershire youth get snuffed out by failure to do their duty by disobeying orders?

"Or did someone else fail in their duty? Their duty of care as an employer."

The Ministry of Defence said it could not comment on a coroner's decision.

If you have any details, especially if you are a relative of Raymond Franklyn, please contact Mr Whitlock on 01495 753987 or ericwhitlock@telco4u.net.