207 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORY
DEDICATION OF A MEMORIAL TO THE WESCOMBE CREW
HOLMPTON, EAST YORKSHIRE, 7 November 2009
Dr Bob Kirby, Author of Avro
Manchester, the Legend behind the Lancaster
It is hoped to provide a fuller account with extracts from
John Sharp, who has played such a vital role in the creation of this
memorial. His great uncle, Sgt Eric Harper, was a member of the Wescombe
crew that night of 14 January 1942.
Sadly Sgt Harper’s widow, John’s grandmother, had recently
died. Bob Kirby contacted Friend Member Mike Desjardins in Canada (whose
great uncle Sgt MR Walker also died in the crash) with his recollections
of the dedication of the memorial. It is on these that the following
article was based. It appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of the 207
Squadron Association Newsletter. It has been updated.
Bob wrote: The Memorial dedication duly occurred on
Saturday 7th November at the tiny ancient village church in the village
of Holmpton in the East Riding of Yorkshire. My wife and I were able to
attend, though we had driven for 5¾ hours, mostly in awful conditions,
on the Friday, to get up into the vicinity. Kevin Mapley and his wife
Nikki travelled from Chatham to represent 207 Squadron Royal Air Force
Association (there may have been other members present).
As it turned out, if it had to rain at all, better for it to be
on the Friday as the due date, Saturday, dawned bright, sunny,
calm and a delightful autumn day. This was all to the good
considering that the actual dedication took place outside around
the memorial itself. I’m sorry you weren’t able to be present, but
here is a reflection in words to compensate.
I’m very pleased to be able to tell you that it was a poignant,
reverential, dignified and respectful event. I was amazed to find
that more than 85 people participated (I lost count but probably
no more than 90 in total).
Those attending filled the church and formed a semicircle around
the memorial for the actual dedication. Wreaths were placed on
behalf of a number of organisations including:
Holmpton District Council (the local administrative authority)
RAF Holmpton (a nearby radar establishment)
207 (R) Squadron RAF Linton-on-Ouse (near York, they fly Tucano
trainers)
the RAF Association,
207 Squadron Association etc.
There could have been more. These were followed by flowers on
behalf of families, etc.
Quite a few Holmpton residents attended, including the landowner
of the crash site. |
 |
The Memorial: St Nicholas, Holmpton in the background
Naturally all this was especially heart-warming for me on
grounds that it was my own research and publication of these findings in
the Manchester book which rescued this incident from obscurity 55 years
or so after the war ended. This is not to take anything away from John
Sharp who has filled in more details of the incident and done an
excellent job organising the setting up of the memorial.
I gather that the memorial is not quite the end of the
matter and a request has evidently been made to dig at the site in the
hopes that a Rolls-Royce Vulture engine might be unearthed. There is
currently no extant example. This has to be done with appropriate
permissions as both human remains and unexploded ordnance might still be
on the site. I doubt the latter.
Everyone will carry away their own personal memories of
the event. I’m sure there will be photographs. The local paper has been
trying to get hold of me and I hope they will report it on grounds that
it was a big event for a very small hamlet (sited “in the back of
beyond” as we would say in Yorkshire).
As the person who first brought this tragic loss back into
the public arena, my own overwhelming perspective is the contrast
between the events of 14th January 1942 when it was no more than a minor
sideshow in a big war and this day 67 years later when, after such a
long time, maybe 90 individuals made the effort to attend and pay their
respects.
Afterwards my time was unexpectedly taken up by 207
Squadron Association business, but I am told that John Sharp and the
farmer escorted anyone interested to the actual crash site.
The OC of RAF Holmpton invited any attendees who were
interested to visit the station (now being used by the RAF Regiment, the
RAF Police, the ROC and the TA parented by RAF Leconfield). I didn’t pay
a visit, but am told that Cliff House Farm itself has now been flattened
and the rubble taken away. Last time I was there the outbuildings had
already gone over the cliff and the farmhouse had been abandoned.
The next day, Sunday 8th, was that set aside for our
Remembrance Day services across the country, which is observed at every
church in the land, as well as nationally at the Cenotaph in Whitehall
in London. Armistice Day remains, as always, the 11th day of the 11th
month and the actual moment is 11am, according to the first stroke of
Big Ben.
Manchester L7523 EM-M, F/Sgt Basil Wescombe's crew
Crashed Holmpton, East Yorkshire 14 Jan 1942: target Hamburg
RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War:
1942 (WR Chorley)
14/15 Jan 1942 207 Sqn Manchester I L7523 EM-M Op:
Hamburg
took off 1735 Bottesford. Crashed 2045 and burnt out at
Cliff House Farm near Holmpton, 4 miles SSE of Withernsea, Yorkshire
[The Wescombe crew was one of eight from 207 Squadron
assigned to that Hamburg raid:
L7309 EM-O F/O GB Dawkins DFM - failed to return:
Dawkins and 4 of his crew were PoWs, the mid-upper gunner Sgt JW
Cadman is buried in Sage War Cemetery, Germany
L7319 EM-X F/Sgt GH Coles
L7455 EM-G F/O PC Birch
L7468 EM-Z F/O J de Lacey Wooldridge
L7485 EM-D F/O DA Green
L7486 EM-B F/Sgt GH Hathersich
L7515 EM-S F/O JH Leland
L7523 EM-M F/Sgt BC Wescombe - failed to return]
Son of George Courtney Wescombe and Elsie Wescombe;
husband of Audrey Ruby Constance Wescombe, of Bitterne Park, Southampton
Falmer
Church Cemetery - 7th Grave from gate - Pathside
Brandesburton
(St Mary) Churchyard RAF Sec Grave 8.
Frederick Thomas was almost local to where he was killed.
Sergeant (Air Observer) Eric
Ronald Harper RAF(VR): Age 19
Son of William and Hilda Maud Harper, of Tooting, Surrey
Wandsworth
(Streatham) Cemetery Block 9 Grave 305
Flight Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) Leonard
Sieve RAFVR: Age 23
Son of Myer and Lydia Sieve; nephew of Joseph Sunlight, of
Knutsford, Cheshire
Failsworth
Jewish Cemetery Sec N Grave 31
Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) Claude
Raymond Westbury RAFVR: Age 21
Son of Herbert and Mary Westbury, of Nottingham
Nottingham
Church Cemetery St George Sec Grave 12058.
Son of Thomas and Sarah Elizabeth Howe, of Rugby
Rugby
(Whinfield) Cemetery Sec B Grave 3
Wallasey
(Frankby) Cemetery Sec C Grave 9
Manchester mk1A L7523 came on to 207 Squadron on 31
October 1941, crashed 14 January 1942 and was Struck Off Charge on 24
Jan 1942. It is not currently known how many hours it had flown.
According to Dr Bob Kirby equipment failures occurred on two of its
first three ops resulting in early returns. It crashed at Holmpton on
its fourth op.
L7523 EM-M with groundcrew, RAF Bottesford
source: Raymond Glynne-Owen
BBC People's War - articles contributed by by Association Friend
member John Sharp, great-nephew of Sgt Eric Harper
Manchester Bomber Crash in Holmpton, East Yorkshire, 14th January 1942
- Part
1 Part
2
EM-M was not the only accident at Holmpton:
USAAF/USAF
Aircraft Accidents in the United Kingdom and Ireland
November 1943
431113 GOVONI, AUGUSTO M
LYSANDER T-1469
HOLMPTON YORKSHIRE, ENG
LANDING GEAR FELL OFF
About Holmpton
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Holmpton - Holmpton Initiative Project Planning Office
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Holmpton - ROC Association visit
images: unless otherwise stated, John Sharp
page last updated 12 Aug 06: 28 Jan 14: 21 Nov 17
