Joshua Downing

Corporal Joshua "Joe" Downing
28 Oct 1889 - 11 Jun 1966
Biography

Joshua was the Corporal of Tawstock Patrol. The son of John and Cora, he was the brother of Auxilier Richard Downing. East Barton was the family home.

Postings
Unit or location Role Posted from until
Tawstock Patrol Patrol Corporal 25 Jun 1940 03 Dec 1944
National ID
WHDC 24/1
Commissioned or Enlisted
25 June 1940
Occupation

Farmer

Address
East Barton Farm, Horwood, Barnstaple, Devon
Other information

Joe Downing was a farmer, he was plump with a bald head. Reasonably agile, he was a crack shot and a good chap to have around if you were in a tight corner. He was thought of as a gentleman farmer and locals wondered at his life-style. He was more often seen driving a very smart car, possibly a Rover or a Wolsey, than working on East Barton Farm. He always had a lady house-keeper or companion living with him. He had married Ethel May Faulkner in 1937 but they divorced in May 1945. 

On 18th Sept 1943 a Wellington bomber X HE 324 was on a training exercise from it's base at RAF Silverstone in Northamptonshire. The plane was seen to be on fire as it passed over Lovacott and it crashed at East Barton Farm. A memorial was placed in Sept 2013.

Other pictures
Profile picture
Caption & credit
East Barton Farm memorial (from Neil Webster)
References

The late Auxilier Bert Verney from his book “Reflections – A trilogy of memories” ISBN 1 874448 20 5

TNA ref WO 199/3391

The Book of Bishops Tawton by Amery, Luxford and Sanders.

The Book of Barnstaple - From Coronation to Millennium by Avril Stone

Bideford 500 and Diana Yendell

1939 Register and 1921 Census

Wartimes Memory Project