Person    | Female  Born 14/10/1910  Died 22/1/1945

Andrew Behan has kindly provided the following research: Vera Styles was born as Vera Stokes on 14 October 1910 in Southfields. She was the eldest of the four children of William John Stokes (1882-1967) and Ida Ivy Florence Stokes née Chant (1882-1959). Her father was a Tailor and her mother had been a widow having previously married a Frank Grantham (1874-1909) who had died and by whom she had a daughter called Delcie Florence Grantham (1908-1988). The 1911 census shows her at 29 Brookwood Road, Southfields, Wandsworth, living with her parents. The birth of her brother, William John Stokes (1912-1932) was registered in the fourth quarter of 1912 in Wandsworth. Her twin sisters, Ivy Noreen Stokes (1915-1993) and Violet May Stokes (1915-1964) were born on 26 May 1915. Electoral registers for 1918 show both her parents living at 124 Replingham Road, London, SW18.

A member of ancestry.co.uk has, on their family tree, entered the information that the father of Vera Stokes disappeared circa 1919-1920, unable to cope to with five young children and that her brother, William John Stokes, as a 19 years old scout leader, died in hospital a month after sustaining injuries when he fell backwards out of a window. His death was registered in the first quarter of 1932 in Kingston.

On 10 June 1925 she married Albert Edward Styles (1910-1978) at Holy Trinity Church, Church Road, Claygate, Esher, Surrey. The parish register shows her address to have been 16 Coverts Road, Claygate, whilst her husband was shown as a Bricklayer of 42 Cobham Road, Norbiton, Kingston upon Thames. The 1939 England and Wales Register shows them residing at 16 Egmont Road, Tolworth, Surbiton, Surrey. Her occupation was given as a Soda Fountain Dispenser, whilst that of her husband was a Bricklayer (O of Works) who was also shown as an A.R.P. (O of Works). The birth of their daughter, Rita Styles, was registered in the first quarter of 1942 in the Surrey North Eastern Registration District. Her husband served as a Lance Corporal in the Royal Engineers, service number 14593155.

She was killed by enemy action, aged 34 years, on 22 January 1945 when the last V2 rocket to fall in Kingston exploded at 2.35pm near the junction of Kings Road and Park Road, Kingston upon Thames.The Burial Register of Kingston Council's Surbiton Cemetery, 58 Lower Marsh Lane, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 3BJ, states she was in Park Road, Kingston at the time of her death and that she was buried in Section XIX, Grave 6561 on 29 January 1945. She is also commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour, located just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey, London and it shows her address to have been 24 Egmont Road, Tolworth.

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