"Lest We Forget"

A few months ago, I asked for volunteers to help me visit every Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC) site in Finistère. The visits were to be made in support of a project being run by the Royal Air Force Association and I was particularly interested in RAF casualties. With the exception of three small island sites, all CWGC sites on the mainland have now been visited and I have over 400 images.

In Finistère, from both WWI and WWII, there are 385 casualties buried in 50 CWGC sites. There are 54 burials from WWI and 331 from WW2. Most of the sites are found around the coast which reflects the maritime nature of most allied operations in both world wars. The largest site is in Brest Kerfautras Cemetery (114 casualties) but there are many single burials in churchyards or communal cemeteries where the graves are respectfully tended by local folk.

In terms of nationality, there are 253 UK, 99 Canadian, 19 Australian, 8 New Zealand, 2 South African and 4 Polish casualties. Of the UK casualties, 172 were RAF. All the Australian, New Zealand and Polish casualties were air force personnel. Of the 99 Canadians killed, at least 65 were the result of a single action on 29 April 1944 when “HMCS Athabaskan” was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel by a German destroyer (of the 256-man crew, 129 were killed, 44 rescued and 83 taken prisoner). Fifty-nine of the Athabaskan’s crew are buried at Plouescat cemetery with the remaining 6 sailors buried at scattered sites close to where their bodies were either washed up or brought ashore. The ship’s captain, Lieutenant Commander John Stubbs DSO DSC (buried at Plouescat), was lost after refusing his own rescue and swimming off to aid some of his crew.

Where records are available (250 out of 385), the average age of a wartime casualty was just 25-years old. The average age for RAF casualties (129 out of 172 records) was 24-years old with a number of airmen being just 19-years old. The youngest casualty was 16-year old Ship’s Steward M T Brown who was killed on 15 January 1918 when his ship, the SS “War Song”, was sunk. The oldest casualty was Seaman Richard Clemo, aged 55 years, who was killed on 13 February 1940 when his ship, the SS “Luriegethan”, was sunk. Both the youngest and oldest casualties served in the Merchant Marine.

Of the casualties, 14 airmen and one sailor were decorated for their bravery: 1 VC, 2 DSOs, 1 DSC, 9 DFCs, 2 DFMs and 3 Mentioned-in-Dispatches. The VC was awarded posthumously to 23-year old Flying Officer Campbell RAF (buried in Brest Kerfautras Cemetery) and the following was published in "The London Gazette" on 13th March 1942:

“Fg Off Kenneth Campbell was the pilot of a Beaufort aircraft detailed to attack an enemy battle cruiser in Brest Harbour at first light on the morning of the 6th April, 1941. The ship was in a position protected by a stone mole bending round it, and rising ground behind on which stood batteries of guns. Other batteries clustered thickly round the two arms of land which encircled the outer harbour, while three heavily armed anti-aircraft ships moored nearby guarded the cruiser. Even if an aircraft penetrated these formidable defences it would be almost impossible, after attacking at low level, to avoid crashing into the rising ground beyond. Knowing all this, Fg Off Campbell ran the gauntlet of the defences and launched a torpedo at point-blank range, severely damaging the battle cruiser below water-line, so that she was obliged to return to the dock whence she had come only the day before. By pressing home the attack at close quarters in the face of withering fire, on a course fraught with extreme peril, this officer displayed valour of the highest order.”

I would like to thank the many volunteers and their families who helped complete this task. Some volunteers were former members of the Armed Forces, some have a current connection with the Armed Forces but most were people who just wanted to help. To them all, I am extremely grateful.

If anyone would like more information about your local CWGC site, just send me an email saying where you live.

“Lest We Forget” *