Today I paid a visit to a place I used to live 26 years ago, the island of Öckerö, which faces out on to the North Sea. I had seen these gravestones at that time, but didn’t have a camera then.
Now I have photographed them, and since it is rather a remote place, it occurred to me that perhaps there are relatives who might like to have a copy of this photograph (at higher resolution of course) via PM.
Reading the ages and epitaphs brought a tear to my eye, and again as I write this.
Does anyone know what brought these young men to such an early demise?
PILOT OFFICER
I.B. COOPER
PILOT
ROYAL AIR FORCE
9TH JUNE 1941 AGE 20
GO WELL, MAY OUR PRAYERS
LIGHTEN YOUR WAY
GOD GRANT YOUR SACRIFICE
BE NOT IN VAIN
PILOT OFFICER
R. P. McLAREN
PILOT
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
18TH AUGUST 1942 AGE 22
CALMLY AND GRANDLY
SILENTLY AND DEEP
LIFE JOINED ETERNITY
1053550 FLIGHT SERGEANT
R. L. S. RITCHIE
OBSERVER
ROYAL AIR FORCE
18TH AUGUST 1942
1109186 SERGEANT
J. A. SHARP
WIRELESS OP/AIR GUNNER
ROYAL AIR FORCE
18TH AUGUST 1942 AGE 21
THEY HOLD
THE HEIGHTS THEY WON
411230 SERGEANT
J. C. WILLIAMS
AIR GUNNER
ROYAL N. Z. AIR FORCE
18TH AUGUST 1942 AGE 21
ALSO TWO AIRMEN
OF THE
1939-1945
WAR
ROYAL AIR FORCE
KNOWN UNTO GOD
By: Papa Lima - 7th April 2008 at 16:31
I will visit again soon and try to get some local details of the circumstances. Gorgeous sunny warm day today which would have been ideal – but I have work to do!
The daffodils on the graves are a nice touch – perhaps I can find out who put them there. Swedish graveyards, especially on the islands, are usually well tended.
By: SadOleGit - 7th April 2008 at 16:13
Beautifully kept aren’t they? Thank you to the people of Öckerö who do that – it’s good to think after all these years that their sacrifice remains appreciated.
SoG
By: Papa Lima - 6th April 2008 at 20:27
Many thanks for the instant reply!
By: Ross_McNeill - 6th April 2008 at 20:08
Hi,
McLaren and Williams were onboard 57 Sqn Wellington X3371.
Ritchie and Sharp from 12 Sqn Wellington Z8538.
Both shot down on the Flensburg raid.
Cooper was 1 PRU Spitfire X4496
Took off from Wick and flew to Sumburgh to refuel then set off for a photo mission to Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand but crashed at Ockero. P/O Cooper, from Natal, South Africa, rests in Ockero Churchyard, Sweden.
Regards
Ross
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April 6, 2008 at 7:57 pm