Michael does not appear on the war memorial plaque in St Mary’s but he does have a Commonwealth War Grave in the churchyard because, although he did not die as a result of or during the war, he did die as a serving soldier before the 31st December 1947.
He was born to Flossie Darley, nee Swain at the Nursing Home in Faversham Within on 15th June 1928. His father was listed as Joseph Harold Darley a consulting railway engineer of Buenos Aires, Argentina where Flossie was also listed as living. A marriage between Flossie, real name Jennie Lydia, and Joseph has not been found in the United Kingdom. Both Flossie and Joseph are recorded as making long sea voyages between Britain and Argentina so they no doubt met in Buenos Aires and it is possible they married there.
Flossie married John Alexander Tonnison, a widower, in Poplar, London towards the end of 1929, no more than eighteen months after Michael was born, whilst Joseph was still living in Argentina.
John and Flossie subsequently moved to South Woodham Ferrers but John died in January 1937. The 1939 registration shows that Michael was living with his mother and two others at The Willows in Hullbridge Road.
Joseph returned to Britain in early September 1940 and joined the RAFVR and was gazetted as a pilot officer from 29th November that year. He died on 1st September 1941 as a result of injuries sustained in a motor accident whilst he was attached to the Air Ministry where he was employed in special administration duties. He was fifty years old. He was buried at Woodstock Cemetery, Oxfordshire.
Michael joined the RASC probably in 1946 as conscription was still in place although the war had finally ended in August 1945 with the surrender of Japan and at the time of his death he was a lance-corporal. He died at the Royal Naval Auxiliary Hospital, Sherborne on 10th May 1947 from a broken femur and multiple injuries as a result of his motor cycle colliding with a motor bus. An inquest was held which returned a verdict of accidental death. At the time of his death his home address was given as The Cabin, Hullbridge Road. He was buried in St Mary’s Churchyard on 15th May where he has one of the seven Commonwealth War Grave Stones.
Flossie died at St John’s Hospital in Chelmsford on 6th June 1963 when her address was still The Cabin in Hullbridge Road, South Woodham Ferrers.