Plouguerneau Cemetery

by , BOUDOT Philippe

The Plouguerneau cemetery is home to the graves of:Sergeant John TOWNS, Machine Gunner of the 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, killed in the crash of Stirling I W7436 on December 18, 1941.Flight Sergeant Walter Merrill BAKER radio operator, of the 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, killed in the crash of Stirling I W7436 on December 18, 1941.Radio Officer Roslyn Lloyd George BROWNE, of Catalina Ib FP138 of the Royal Air Force Ferry Command, died on April 7, 1943 at the age of 24.Sergeant Henry John James NeveB, Radio Operator and Gunner of the Whitley V BD359, Royal Canadian Air Force, died in action on July 5, 1943 at the age of 20.Flying Officer James Frederick NEWMAN, Pilot of the Whitley V BD359, Royal Air Force, died in action on July 5, 1943 at the age of 21.4 Unknown AirmenFlight Sergeant Kenneth Roy CLARKE, Royal Air Force Whitley V BD359, died on mission July 5, 1943, age 20.Sergeant Lorne Glen STEWART, gunner of the Royal Canadian Air Force Whitley V BD359, died on mission July 5, 1943.Sergeant Norman ALLEN, navigator of the Royal Air Force Whitley V BD359, died on mission July 5, 1943 at the age of 19.Flight Lieutenant Gordon Baird MACLACHLAN, pilot Spitfire BS245 of the 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force killed in action on April 16, 1943 at the age of 21.On April 30, 1944 at 10:15 pm, orders are given to twelve Fairey Swordfish biplanes from the 838 Squadron based at Harrowbeer, north of Plymouth in England, to destroy a German destroyer off the coast of Finistère at Kerlouan. But not everything goes according to plan... During the flight, the squadron was redirected, probably by mistake, to another target, in Aber Wrac'h, where the presence of German anti-aircraft units (FLAK) was strong. At around 00:30, they attacked with rockets the M-156, a ship grounded since February 6, 1944 in Landéda's Baie des Anges. The Swordfishes, already aging at the start of the war, were ill-suited to this kind of operation. Three of them fell victim to enemy fire. One of the aircraft, the NE946 fell into the sea not far from its target. Its English crew was found drowned when the wreck was refloated. The pilot, Sub-Lieut. (A)Stanley Frederick SUCH, his observer Lieut. (A) James Benjamin COOK and their telegrapher-gunner, Petty Officer Airman Richard Crawford GRAPES now lie in Brest-Kerfautras cemetery. The second aircraft, probably the NE906, went down at Kerazan Vras en Lilia-Plouguerneau. Its crew consisted of Sub-Lieut. (A) lan Lewis Ruxton WILSON (New Zealand pilot), Sub-Lieut. (A) Edward Thompson CLARK (observer) and Petty Officer Airman Albert ROCKLEY (telegrapher-machine gunner), both English. The last aircraft, the NE923, is said to have fallen into the sea off the island of Stagadon. Its crew was reported missing. It consisted of the New Zealand pilot, Sub-Lieut.(A) Leslie Frank HAYWARD, his observer Sub-Lieut.(A) David HANSON, and their telegrapher-machine gunner, Leading Airman Brian Lambert ROWNTREE. Four of these six soldiers lie as unknowns in Plouguerneau cemetery. Brian Rowntree, the only one whose name appears on a grave today, is buried in Manchester cemetery in England. Credit photo and contribution Philippe Boudot.