Bear with me, there is aviation content in this thread, but let me say a little bit first about how this all came about. Sunday, it was decided we should have a little wander down to Malvern and through and around the Malvern hills. Our route took us in and out of Great Malvern a couple of times. We were distracted by the number of Antique Emporiums there were and it seemed churlish not to go in search of something to add to our respective collections. In the end, Lisa came away with just a set of Great War postcards. We moved on through Colwall and then found ourselves in our third County of the day. We just thought we were out for a nice drive in the Country, little realising that the dog had set himself the task on playing football in as many Counties as possible. He achieved five in the course of the day.
We eventually found ourselves in Ledbury, and it was here we spotted this wonderful War Memorial.
I’d never seen a Memorial quite like this one and found it to be stunning. It was a lovely find and one which I am sure would be worthy of further research. The mosaic panels are really nice and the dull light of a Bank Holiday afternoon hardly does them justice.
Moving on we eventually found our circuitous way to Stratford Upon Avon. I hadn’t driven there for years and a miscalculation at one of the new road layouts saw us driving around the back streets. Literally yards from the Church in which William Shakespeare lies, there is a Memorial Garden commemorating those connected with Stratford who have died in the Service of their Country.
With Stratford’s association with the Avon it was not too surprising to find this:
This wall with commemorative panels was very attractive and again with the Shakespeare connection it was no surprise to find a couple of lines from Henry V adorning the wall.
On the plaques set into the wall are two names that stood out quite a bit. I can do no better than to copy the words from the CWGC entries to tell the story further.
Note the wrong spelling and as far as I can establish after a quick search, no obvious connection with Stratford.
“An extract from The London Gazette, dated 11th June, 1915, records the following:-“For most conspicuous bravery on the 7th June, 1915, when he attacked and, singlehanded, completely destroyed a Zeppelin in mid-air. This brilliant achievement was accomplished after chasing the Zeppelin from the coast of Flanders to Ghent, where he succeeded in dropping his bombs on to it from a height of only one or two hundred feet. One of these bombs caused a terrific explosion which set the Zeppelin on fire from end to end, but at the same time overturned his Aeroplane and stopped the engine. In spite of this he succeeded in landing safely in hostile country, and after 15 minutes started his engine and returned to his base without damage.”
The second name I hadn’t heard before, but it is an incredible story. Squadron Leader Arthur Stewart King Scarfe was flying Blenheims with 62 Squadron at the time of his death.
“The following details are given in the London Gazette of June 21st 1946: On December 9th, 1941, all available aircraft from the Royal Air Force Station, Butterworth, Malaya, were ordered to attack the advanced operational base of the Japanese Air Force at Singora, Thailand. The aircraft were about to take off when the enemy made a combined dive-bombing and low-level machine gun attack on the airfield, destroying or damaging all save the Blenheim piloted by Squadron Leader Scarf. Airborne just as the attack started, this officer witnessed the disaster, but decided to press on to Singora in his single aircraft. Despite severe opposition, including attacks by numerous enemy fighter planes, Squadron Leader Scarf completed his attack successfully, but was mortally wounded in so doing. He made a valiant attempt to return to his base, but owing to his wounds had to make a forced landing at Alor Star, accomplishing this without injury to his crew. He died in hospital shortly afterwards. Squadron Leader Scarf displayed supreme heroism in the face of tremendous odds and his splendid example of self-sacrifice will long be remembered.”
It is not only wartime casualties who are commemorated as evidenced by this Memorial. It would be interesting to know the circumstances of this Officer’s death.
That brought Sunday to a close but there is more to follow later from a visit to Cannock.
Regards,
kev35
By: DazDaMan - 29th August 2008 at 19:24
I remember riding past the German cemetery at Cannock Chase a couple of years ago – hadn’t even known it was there, but unfortunately didn’t get to have a proper look.
By: Paul F - 29th August 2008 at 14:47
Kev/Pete,
I am in now way trying to defend “the enemy” of the time, nor am I trying to be politically correct – anyone who knows me will confirm that I have no time for the namby-pamby PC-approach that pervades so many aspects of modern society. Nor am I advoctaing a “forgive and forget” policy – “forgive”- definitely, otherwise we cannot move forwards, “forget” – never, or we all risk repeating the same mistakes all over again.
I was simply trying to suggest that I suspect many of the people involved onthe axis side were pretty simlilar to those involved on the Allied side – young men (and women) who perhaps didn’t really understand why they were fighting or what they were being asked to fight for, but still felt that it was their duty to support their country first, and to ask questions second. Yes, I totally agree they were the enemy, but I was trying to suggest that many of them were probably not out and out “gung ho” nazis. A charsimatic leader, who promises much, can all too easily “brainwash” a large hunk of a population into following their edicts – especially if they have already seen what happens to anyone to whom that same leader takes a dislike.
I totally abhor the nazis, and all they stood for, and I am very proud that my home nation and it’s allies had the will, courage, and gritty determination to fight against such an evil regime. Those who lost their lives in defending my right to freedom get my deepest respect and thanks whenever I come across a war memorial (large or small).
Paul F
By: Pete Truman - 29th August 2008 at 11:58
Kevin, I agree with everything you say, all my last generation of family obviously suffered in some way as a consequence of the actions of the Nazis, not just in action but on the home front too, it wasn’t something any of them wanted to be involved in, it disrupted their lives through no fault of their own.
But we were lucky, by a miracle, no Truman, Brown or even my ex in-laws ever recieved a scratch in combat, and we’re talking such an incredible range of battles here, on land, sea and air, Alamein to Arnhem, air attacks on Channel ports and Berlin, escorting convoys to Murmansk, suffering Kamikaze attacks in the Pacific.
Here is the conundrum though.
Strangely enough, non of them seemed to have had the slightest hatred of the German people. For those involved against the Japanese, it was a different matter, they loathed them till the day they died.
My ex father in law fought some ferocious battles against the Afrika Korps, but even at the time he thought that they were a fine body of men and had the greatest of respect for them, only doing their duty, he told me, ( he hated the Italians though).
The same with my father, though it wasn’t always the case, I have a photo he took somewhere of a German soldiers temporary post battle grave, complete with helmet on the top, on the back of which he has written, ‘The best Jerry of all, a dead un’.
When we went to the 50th D-Day Anniversary, he was incensed that the Germans weren’t invited, made a point of visiting the German areas of the cemeteries and made a beeline for anybody with a Kubelwagon or who looked vaguely German.
Perhaps it would have been a different story if members of the family at home or on active duty had suffered in any way. As far as I know, no-one in our large network of relatives on the Home Front, mainly working class/lower middle class with no particular privilages, living in industrial cities, although having a few close shaves, particularly my mother, got away unscathed.
On the other hand, they still had to go stumbling through the blackout, live on rations, work long hours making parachutes and fire watch during air raids, all the while wondering whether they would see their loved ones again.
Talk to my mother now though and she thinks of them as happy times!!
Sorry to go on, but I’m just trying in my own way to support your feelings.
I was aware of the German Cemetery at Cannock, I didn’t realise it was established as recently as 1964, no doubt as the result of post war Anglo-German reconciliation, there’s nothing wrong with that, its just that on one web site refering to it, it mentions that German civilians who died in internment on the Isle of Man were reburied at Cannock with the exception of 2 Jewish internees who were left behind. Perhaps it was the wishes of their families, assuming they had any that survived the tender mercies of the Nazis, who knows, perhaps we shouldn’t read into it that much.
I also read that it’s a place of pilgrimage for German relatives during the summer, which begs the question, why take all the trouble to create this place, I know the land was donated, but the cost in creating it and moving the bodies, wouldn’t it have been only a little more to take them back to Germany where they came from and where their relatives live.
I suppose you could raise the same argument for British dead abroad, though most of those are in Allied countries anyway, that we were fighting to liberate.
I would be interested to know whether any families who lost loved ones on bombing raids in the connurbations around Cannock objected to this place being created at the time. A hallowed place to the individual members of their enemies, while many of their innocent victims, particularly in Coventry, were buried in mass graves.
By: kev35 - 28th August 2008 at 19:39
Hi, Paul.
The problem is I am a simple man, and as such I hold simple beliefs and quite possibly have a simplistic view of events sixty and seventy years ago.
The German public were happy to support a man who they saw as bringing them prosperity and maybe even redemption. These ordinary men and women were content to support him even as Anti Semitism raised it’s ugly head once again. They were content to support the subjugation of groups within their own population, not only on the grounds of race, but Religion, politics, disability and even social background. They were content to support a regime which effectively turned mass murder into an extremely efficient industry. They were content to support the expansionism which bought Nations and their populations within their control. They were content to support untold aggression.
In its simplest form, those ordinary men and women were content to support, and take some pride in, the deaths of millions of Poles, Russians, Americans, British, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Norwegians, Danes, Yugoslavs, French, Dutch, Belgians, how many Nationalities have I missed?
It may be an unpopular view but it has to be remembered that it was Germany and its supportive population which started the war. Germany and its population revelled in their military success with no consideration towards any who stood in their way.
They may have been brave men and women, but they were still the enemy, and dead as they are, the enemy they must remain if we are to learn anything at all from what happened all those years ago. To think otherwise is to demean the service and sacrifice of those who rid the world of German tyranny.
Regards,
kev35
By: Paul F - 28th August 2008 at 12:43
Kev,
As ever, a thought provoking post…
One comment I will make…you say
I still can’t help thinking that although I fully accept that many of those resting on Cannock Chase were ordinary men and women, that they were still the enemy. And that it was their aggression which plunged Europe and later America into six years of war.
And all it earned those on Cannock Chase was a six foot patch of ground needlessly early.
I think know where you’re coming from, but (in my naive way) I tend to take the stance that the vast majority of combatants were indeed “ordinary men and women”, perhaps caught up in misguided/manipulated nationalist fervour, but that the real “enemy” were those in power who lead/drove the aggressive stance of the nation involved in any aggression.
I know you can argue that anyone who takes up arms for an aggressor state is condoning the aggression (otherwise they could “opt out” and be a conscious objector), but I suspect few saw that option as any more attractive than fighting for their country. Nowadays we are all hopefully (in UK/West at least) a little more questioning of our leaders, and thus less likely to blindly support any aggression.
However, a great many states are still run/manipulated by religious or political megolomaniacs to thsi day, who prey on their subjects’/populations’ deepest fears of the unknown foreigner, and thus whip the majority up to serve their own greedy, self-serving, ends…. in some ways nothing much changes in the human nature :o, depsite the number of people who as you say have found their way under ” a six foot patch of earth needlessly early” :(.
Of course, any members of the armed forces are surely (and rightly?) obliged to follow orders given by their superiors – if they are not, then should never have joined up…. assuming they have any choice in joining up, and are not conscripted.
As ever, a post from you challenges me (us) to think about and try to take a stance on something I would otherwise not worry about – keep ’em coming!
Paul F
By: Rob68 - 28th August 2008 at 09:23
Only live 3 mile from here, the under cover statue still gives me the creeps
By: kev35 - 26th August 2008 at 21:47
Martin.
I was thinking of something a little deeper than that.
Monday saw us taking a ride around Tamworth, Lichfield, Rugeley and lastly, Cannock Chase. Lisa hadn’t been to the German Cemetery before so we went for a look around. I noticed one or two things I hadn’t seen before.
On entering the building, there is a small visitor’s area which leads out into a covered courtyard which contains as its centre piece the following monument.
I must admit I find this area unsettling for some inexplicable reason.
Walking out into the Cemetery proper you see this stone tablet. I’ve followed it with several general views of the cemetery.
It’s interesting to note that each of the stones has a very smooth surface on the front and back faces and that the edges are left rough hewn. Each stone has the names of at least two burials on both the front and reverse of each headstone.
I came across a number of graves which appeared to bear no rank or designation, including the graves of several women. I can only assume that these were internees who died during their internment.
As the date was the 25th August it also seemed appropriate that I happened across the grave of Leutnant Karl Westphal who died on that date some 68 years ago. He shares his grave with an unknown German soldier.
Leutnant Westphal and Obergefreiter Brief were killed when their aircraft, a Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4 of I/ZG2 was shot down near Warmwell by Squadron Leader Darley and Pilot Officer Tobin of 609 Squadron.
The final photographs are of the small terrace where four Zeppelin crews lost during the Great War were reinterred together. The dates are at the bottom of each stone and a quick google will reveal the fates of each one.
A sobering afternoon but I still can’t help thinking that although I fully accept that many of those resting on Cannock Chase were ordinary men and women, that they were still the enemy. And that it was their aggression which plunged Europe and later America into six years of war.
And all it earned those on Cannock Chase was a six foot patch of ground needlessly early.
Regards,
kev35
By: wieesso - 26th August 2008 at 17:53
quote: ‘It was a lovely find and one which I am sure would be worthy of further research.’
Martin
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August 26, 2008 at 5:07 pm