Our earlier posting about the complex issue of deciding the names to go on Brigg Monument War Memorial came to mind last night as I was reading a fascinating and extensively researched new book about 1 Group of Bomber Command by former Telegraph colleague and author Patrick Otter (review to be notified through Brigg Blog in due course).
Reference is made in the text to a bomber crew member from RAF Elsham Wold being buried in Brigg cemetery. He is not alone among WW2's fallen servicemen to be afforded a final resting place within our town.
Brigg Blog has no wish to get involved in the debate about criteria for inclusion on the Monument. But we can't recall the issue of airmen killed on active service while based close to Brigg being mentioned previously. It could be that the bomber crew member mentioned in the book is already included on our war memorial. We will take a look in due course.
It's particularly poignant to read in Patrick's book about RAF personnel based at Elsham who died at, or near, the base, including crashes soon after take-off or while landing. Many, many more, of course, perished over occupied Europe while on bombing missions.
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1 comment:
There are a few RAF WW2 aircrew buried in Brigg cemetery.....they are buried together in recognised Commonwealth War Grave plots.
In general terms, their names should be noted on the Elsham memorial at the old airfield.....and most likely their names will also be recorded on war memorials in, or near their home towns.
It maybe also worth noting that many WW2, US Army Air Force personnel are buried in the American Cemetery at Madingley, just outside Cambridge.
And on the flip side, many German aircrew perished over these shores - their memorial cemetery is on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire - now the Aboretum Memorial. Those interred there include many of the German Imperial Naval airman from the Zeppelin L11 that dropped bombs on Scunthorpe (and dropped an incendiary bomb on Wrawby) on 31st January, 1916 - many of them transferred to Zeppelin L31, which was destroyed in October, 1916 - north of London, no survivors.
The Brigg & District RBL are concerned that army nursing Sister Ellen (Nellie) Andrew - KIA on the Western Front - killed by an aeroplane bomb - attacking a medical train - 21st March, 1918.
Perhaps it was the prevailing societal attitudes and sex discrimination of the time that played a large part in leaving her name off Brigg's war memorial, while her male colleagues were recorded in detail.
In general, the community owns the responsibility in deciding who should be included on a war memorial. Some communities, for example, have included those dying from war injuries (usually to Nov 1919), while some have included merchant seamen.
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