Brigg Cemetery Register WW2.
The local cemetery in Brigg is the final resting place for a good proportion of the airmen killed in crashes in North Lincolnshire and I have produced this register of these for general interest with links to the appropriate Crash Page. These are listed in date order.
Top 1943 - Bottom 2018 Brigg Cemetery. Funerals of Sgts Inglis in the foreground and Rudden in the background. Both were 166 Sqn aircrew and killed on return from ops on the 17th Dec 1943 in separate crashes in the foggy conditions encountered around Lincolnshire by the returning crew
Those who were UK residents and claimed by their next of kin were returned to their families for burial locally. Commonwealth airmen and those that were not claimed rest at Brigg. However this seems to tail off from late 1943/beginning and 1944 when most of the unclaimed were interred at Cambridge City or, in the case of the Canadians, Stonefall Cemetery at Harrogate.
Five of the deceased warrant special mention – Stoker 1st Class Harold Beacock RN 24th June 1941, F/S D B Staples DFM RAF 27th October 1941, F/S John Neil MacIver RCAF, F/O Angus Murray RAFVR and AC2 H. Traverse RAFVR 13th October 1942 and F/L L V Walsh RAFVR 4th January 1945.
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4th December 1939 - Sapper Charles Edwin Beel - Age 22 - Royal Engineers
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4th March 1941 - Pte Herbert Kitchener Neall - Age 24 - Pioneer Corps
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24th June 1941 - Stoker 1st Class Harold Beacock - Age 39 - Royal Navy - HMS Vanessa - See Note 5 at the foot of this page.
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27th October 1941 - F/S Darrel Barry Stables DFM RAF - Age 24 - WOP/AG - 106 Squadron – See Note 1 at the foot of this page.
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27th February 1942 - Pte James William Fisher - Age 43 - Pioneer Corps.
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4th May 1942 - Sgt Allan Barnes Goff RCAF - Age 22 - Pilot - 15(P)AFU
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31st May 1942 - Sgt Leslie William Flowers RAFVR - Pilot - 103 Squadron
31st May 1942 - Sgt Albert Allan Conisbee RCAF - Age 30 - Observer - 103 Squadron.
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1st July 1942 - 2nd Lt Thomas Dornan - Age 31 - South Staffordshire Regiment
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1st August 1942 - Sgt Alexander Edward Finney RAFVR - Age 27 - Observer - 103 Squadron CFlt
1st August 1942 - Sgt Joseph Arthur Henson RAF - Age 20 - Flight Engineer - 103 Squadron CFlt
1st August 1942 - Sgt James William Keane RNZAF - Age 20 - Observer - 103 Squadron CFlt.
1st August 1942 - Sgt Christopher Hubert Morgan RAFVR - Air Gunner - 103 Squadron CFlt
1st August 1942 - P/O Alexander Simons RAFVR - Bomb Aimer/Air Gunner - 103 Squadron CFlt
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7th August 1942 - P/O Eric Arthur Cassidy RAFVR - Age 27 - Observer - 103 Squadron.
7th August 1942 - P/O Joseph Norman Gilby RAFVR - Pilot - 103 Squadron.
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2nd September 1942 - Pte Rose Turner - Age 22 - Auxiliary Territorial Service
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9th September 1942 - Sgt Charles Glynn Jones RNZAF - Age 20 - Pilot - 15(P)AFU
9th September 1942 - Sgt Morris Randolph Mitchell RAF - Age 22 - Pilot - 15(P)AFU
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22nd September 1942 - W/O Nickolas Hrehorak RCAF - Age 23 - Pilot - 103 Squadron CFlt
22nd September 1942 - F/S Robert Lyle McCulloch RCAF - Age 20 - Air Gunner – 103 Squadron CFlt
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10th October 1942 - Sgt Norman Clifford Meyers RCAF - Age 19 - Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner - 150 Squadron
10th October 1942 - Sgt Reginald Ziser RAAF - Age 22 - 150 Squadron.
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13th October 1942 - F/S John Neil MacIver RCAF - Age 21 – Pilot –15(P)AFU - See Note 2 at the foot of this page.
13th October 1942 - F/O Angus Murray RAFVR – Pilot – 15(P)AFU - See Note 2 at the foot of this page.
13th October 1942 - AC2 Harold Traverse RAFVR - Wireless Operator 15(P)AFU - See Note 2 at the foot of this page.
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5th December 1942 - Sgt John Allen Barrett-Lennard RAAF - 1658 HCU.
5th December 1942 - Sgt Carlos Frederick Bonorino RAFVR ( formerly Royal Artillery ) - Age 23 - Air Bomber - 1658 HCU
5th December 1942 - F/S Douglas Charles Cameron RCAF - Age 22 - Pilot - 1658 HCU
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27th January 1943 - F/S Robert Alfred Chapman RCAF - Age 21 - Navigator/Air Bomber - 57 Squadron.
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17th June 1943 - Sgt William Brodie RCAF - Age 25 - Air Gunner - 460 RAAF Squadron.
17th June 1943 - F/S Noel Oliver Boyd Flitcroft RAAF - Age 30 - Air Gunner - 460 RAAF Squadron.
17th June 1943 - Sgt Donald Samuel Gent RAFVR - Age 21 - Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner - 460 RAAF Squadron.
17th June 1943 - F/S Leslie Maxwell McDonnell RAAF - Age 22 - Air Bomber - 460 RAAF Squadron.
17th June 1943 - F/S John Clement Plummer RAAF - Age 32.
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18th July 1943 - S/L Philip Brandon-Trye RAF - Pilot -
18th July 1943 - W/O John William Heard RAFVR - Age 21 - Pilot - 1485 Target Towing and Gunnery Flight.
18th July 1943 - G/C Brian Everard Lowe RAF
18th July 1943 - W/C Alister William Matheson RAF - Age 33 - Pilot
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24th August 1943 - Sgt Frederick Robert Rowen RAFVR - Navigator - 78 Squadron - See Note 3 at the foot of this page.
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17th December 1943 - Sgt Terence Rudden RAFVR - Age 19 - Flight Engineer - 166 Squadron.
17th December 1943 - Sgt David Wilson Inglis RAFVR - Age 31 - Air Gunner - 166 Squadron.
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5th January 1944 - Gunner George Ernest Brown - Age 32 - 86 ( 5th Bn The Devonshire Regt ) Anti Tank Regt, Royal Artillery
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20th February 1944 - Sgt Donald Henry James Cunningham RAFVR - Age 19 - Flight Engineer - 103 Squadron.
20th February 1944 - Sgt Anthony Oliver Haines RAFVR - Age 26 - Air Gunner - 103 Squadron
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30th March 1944 - P/O Patrick Devlin Asquith D'Arcy RAFVR - Age 30 – Pilot – 53 OTU
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4th January 1945 - F/L Leslie Victor Walsh RAF - 25 - Air Gunner - 150 Squadron – See Note 4 at the foot of this page.
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Note 1.
F/S Darrel B Stables of 106 Sqn RAF Coningsby was killed in an incident over North Yorkshire returning from an operation. The circumstances of this are covered in detail on this page of the excellent Yorkshire Aircraft ( Accidents in Yorkshire ) website here.
26/27th October 1941 - 106 Squadron, RAF Coningsby - Handley Page Hampden I - AD785 - Sgt Edward Boucher Smith RAFVR - Ops Hamburg.
Approximate location Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire
F/S Darrel B Stable RAF - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 24 - 106 Sqn - Son of Charles and Francis Stables; husband of Kathleen Mary Stables of Moulton, Northamptonshire - Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire
F/S Stables's widow was living in North Lincolnshire at that time which presumably will account for his burial at Brigg.
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Note 2.
F/O Angus Murray, AC2 Harold Traverse and F/S John N MacIver, all of 15 (P) AFU RAF Leconfield, were killed in 2 separate incidents on the 13th October 1942 around RAF Acaster Malbis airfield in East Yorkshire during very foggy weather. Why all three were laid to rest in Brigg is unknown.
The circumstances of both are covered in detail on the Yorkshire Aircraft ( Accidents in Yorkshire ) website as show below.
BG666 - F/O A Murray RAFVR and AC2 H Traverse RAFVR here
AP 395 – F/S J N MacIver RCAF here.
13th October 1942 - 15 (P) AFU, RAF Leconfield - Airspeed Oxford - BG666 - F/O Angus Murray RAFVR - Duty Training
F/O Angus Murray RAFVR - Pilot - 15 (P) AFU - Son of Joseph Leo and Solveig Murray of Mindrum, Northumberland - Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire
AC2 Harold Traverse RAFVR - Wireless Operator - 15 (P) AFU - Son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Traverse of Crosspool, Sheffield - Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire.
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13th October 1942 - 15 (P) AFU, RAF Leconfield - Airspeed Oxford - AP395 - F/S John N MacIver RCAF - Duty Training
F/S John Neil MacIver RCAF - Pilot - 21 - 15 (P) AFU - Son of Norman and Marion MacIver of Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire
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As I personal observation I have always been quite mystified as to why Acaster Malbis was ever considered a suitable site for an airfield at all. It was and still is well known for foggy and misty conditions at certain times of the year as anyone who knows the area will tell you.
Sgt Samuel Hampton McBryde RCAF (R/109887), aged 21, of Kingsville, Texas, USA was also killed in the BG666 crash. He was initially buried at Brigg but was exhumed at the request of the family and now rests at Falfurrias Burial Park, Texas, USA. I presume this accounts for the gap in the front row of this plot. See pic above.
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Note 3.
Sgt Frederick R Rowen RAFVR.
23/24th August 1943 - 78 Sqn, RAF Breighton - Handley Page Halifax II - JD305 - F/O J Austin RAFVR - Op-Berlin.
F/O J Austin RAFVR. - MIA
Sgt S W Kent RAFVR - MIA
Sgt F R Rowen RAFVR - Injured
Sgt R A Winn RAFVR- Injured - MIA
Sgt A C Thewlis RAFVR- Injured
Sgt R Askwith RAFVR - MIA
Sgt G E Russell RAFVR - Safe
T/O 2032 Breighton - Aircraft very badly shot about by night fighters which inflicted severe damage to the engines. F/O Austin made a gallant attempt to reach base but crashed into the North Sea. As the bomber sank an empty fuel tank broke free onto which Sgt Russell assisted his 3 injured colleagues. In the 16 hours before help arrived Sgt Winn slipped into the water and drowned. Sadly Sgts Rowen and Thewliss both died from their wounds after being taken aboard the Air Sea rescue launch. In recognition of his courage and devotion Sgt Russell was awarded a DFM, Gazetted on the 24th September 1943.
Sgt Frederick Robert Rowen RAFVR - Navigator - 78 Sqn - Husband of Margaret Doreen Stella Rowen of Salford, Lancashire - Brigg Cemetery
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Note 4.
F/L Leslie V Walsh RAF had flown a tour with 103 Sqn at RAF Elsham Wolds in the crew of Sgt K Berry RAFVR
See 103 Squadron RAF website Ken Berry page here.
F/L Walsh then undertook a period as an instructor. Hew as then posted to 150 Squadron at RAF Fiskerton before they moved to RAF Hemswell several weeks later. I presume F/L Walsh was Squadron Gunnery Leader. He was living in Brigg with his wife and baby daughter. At the time of his death he had completed 41 operations.
He was killed in a none flying incident having hitched a lift in an ambulance on his way home when the ambulance skidded and overturned in very icy conditions.
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Note 5
Stoker 1st Class Harold Beacock
HMS Vanessa before conversion to long range escort
This sailor was a member of the crew of HMS Vanessa which was a V Class destroyer on convoy escort duty. On the 19th June 1941 whilst on patrol in the North Sea the ship came under attack by German aircraft and sustained a bomb hit amidships which caused her boilers to explode killing 9 ratings and wounding 17 others 2 of whom subsequently died. One of these was Harold Beacock who succumbed to his wounds on the 24th June 1941.
HMS Vanessa was taken in tow by HMS Vesper who brought her to GreatYarmouth. She was selected for conversion to a long range escort and entered the Green and Silley Weir Shipyard in London for repair and conversion which was completed in the spring of 1942.
She performed good work as an escort until 1944 when she was withdrawn from service and underwent conversion to an air target ship. In 1945 she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1949.
This item was compiled by David Fell with the assistance of a number of sources and contributors for which I am most grateful
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