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.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tawstock Patrol | Patrol Corporal | 25 Jun 1940 | 03 Dec 1944 |
Farmer
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 Edith May Downing 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.
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