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Royal Air Force
North Weald
1916-1964
Debt of Honour
 
For your tomorrow we gave our today






The Personnel
Aircrews from at least seven nations have been stationed at North Weald and, at one time or another, the local holsteries have echoed to the accents of Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders, Czechs, Norwegians and Poles. Altogether, 267 men, women and civilians lost their lives while serving at the Station in peace and war and in the Debt of Honour no distinction has been drawn between death in the face of the enemy or in an accident on or around the airfield. All served . . . and all paid the supreme sacrifice.
 
The First World War
December 5, 1917                  2nd Lt Thomas Pritchard, No. 39 Sqn
January 22, 1918                     2nd Lt Aubrey Hurst, No. 39 Sqn
June 13, 1918                         2nd Lt Jack Boles, No. 39 Sqn
June 13, 1918                         Flt Cdt John MacKay, No. 39 Sqn
July 29, 1918                          Captain Owen Thomas, No. 39 Sqn
        "                                     2nd Lt Albany Cairns, No. 39 Sqn
July 31, 1918                          Lt Charles Jordan, No. 39 Sqn
November 6, 1918                  Mbr Grace Collins, No. 39 Sqn
 
The Inter-War years
June 3, 1925                           Willie Passfield, Civilian
June 27, 1929                         F/O Vickers Eyre, No. 56 Sqn
October 11, 1929                   F/O John Clarke, No. 29 Sqn
June 17, 1930                        W/Cdr Bernard Smythies,  Station HQ
October 18, 1930                   F/Lt Oswald Worsley, No. 29 Sqn
November 4, 1930                   F/O Max Barnett, No. 56 Sqn
January 12, 1931                     F/O Frank Lemon, No. 29 Sqn
March 19, 1931                      P/O David Angell, No. 29 Sqn
February 15, 1933                  LAC Ernest Walden, No. 29 Sqn
September 3, 1934                  F/O John Bigelow, No. 29 Sqn
November 6, 1934                  LAC George Paterson, No. 56 Sqn
September 30, 1937                AC1 Robert Pull, No. 29 Sqn
        "                                  AC2 Brinley South, No. 56 Sqn
        "                                  Sgt Arthur Wood, No. 29 Sqn
April 24, 1939                        Sgt Sydney Evetts, No. 56 Sqn
June 6, 1939                          Sgt Gordon Hughes, No. 17 Sqn
June 12, 1939                         P/O Peter Charlton, No. 151 Sqn
August 4, 1939                  P/O Peter Phillips, No. 151 Sqn
 
The Second World War
1939
September 6                           P/O Montagu Hulton-Harrap, No. 56 Sqn
                                              (The first casualty of RAF Fighter Command in WWII)
October 13                             AC2 Harold Melvin, No. 604 Sqn
       "                                    AC2 Jack Warry, No. 604 Sqn
October 18                             F/O Edward Prescott, No. 604 Sqn
      "                                     LAC Albert Roberts, No. 604 Sqn
November 14                          P/O William Ross, No. 604 Sqn
November 27                          Cpl Charles Francis, Station HQ
November 29                          LAC Vernon Oliver, No. 604 Sqn
        "                                   F/O Philip Wheeler, No. 604 Sqn
December 22                          AC1 Martin Molony, Station North Weald
 
1940
February 18                           P/O Harold Lovell, No. 151 Sqn
March 27                               P/O Peter Brierley, No. 25 Sqn
April 2                                     P/O Henry Fenton, No. 151 Sqn
May 18                                   F/O Frank Rose, No. 56 Sqn
   "                                        F/Lt Ian Soden, No. 56 Sqn
May 25                                   P/O John Bushell, No. 151 Sqn
   "                                         Flt/Lt Frederick Ives, No. 151 Sqn
May 29                                   Sgt James Elliott, No. 56 Sqn
June 17                                   F/O Leonid Ereminsky, No. 151 Sqn
June 18                                   Sgt Maurice Aslin, No. 151 Sqn
   "                                          P/O Leslie Wright, No. 151 Sqn
June 28                                  F/O Kenneth Newton, No. 151 Sqn
July 9                                      Lt John Howitt, Essex Rgt
July 12                                   F/O James Allen, No. 151 Sqn
July 13                                   Sgt Joseph Whitfield, No. 56 Sqn
  "                                          Sgt James Cowsill, No. 56 Sqn
July 24                                     P/O Jack Hamar, No. 151 Sqn
July 29                                     F/Sgt Cecil Cooney, No. 56 Sqn
August 11                               Sgt Ronald Baker, No. 56 Sqn
August 12                               P/O Robert Beley, No. 151 Sqn
August 15                               P/O Mieczyslaw Rozwadowski, No. 151 Sqn
     "                                      P/O James Johnston, No. 151 Sqn
August 17                               F/O John Coghlan, No. 56 Sqn
August 18                               P/O John Ramsay, No. 151 Sqn
August 24                               Pte John Barnes, Essex Rgt
     "                                     Pte James Bates, Essex Rgt
     "                                       Pte Frederick Elliott, Essex Rgt
     "                                       Pte Stephen Held, Essex Rgt
     "                                       Pte Samuel Knight, Essex Rgt
     "                                       Pte Nathaniel Miles, Essex Rgt
     "                                        Pte Monty Pincus, Essex Rgt
     "                                        Pte Stephen Shuster, Essex Rgt
     "                                        Pte Douglas Wood, Essex Rgt
August 26                              F/O Robert Edwards, No. 1 (RCAF) Sqn
August 30                                Sgt Feliks Gmur, No. 151 Sqn
     "                                       S/Ldr Eric King, No. 151 Sqn
August 31                                F/Lt Percy Weaver, No. 56 Sqn
September 2                           P/O John Bailey, No. 46 Sqn
September 3                            Sgt Gerald Edworthy, No. 46 Sqn
         "                                    P/O Douglas Hogg, No. 25 Sqn
         "                                    Arthur Sweeting, Civilian
         "                                    AC1 Harold Wood
         "                                   Cpl Stanley Wright, MT Section
September 4                           AC1 Leonard Heath
September 7                            P/O Robert Fleming, No. 249 Sqn
September 9                            S/Lt Jack Carpenter, No. 46 Sqn
September 11                          Sgt Stanley Andrew, No. 46 Sqn
     "                                        Sgt William Peacock, No. 46 Sqn
September 14                          F/O Richard Plummer, No. 46 Sqn
September 15                         F/O Hugh Lambert, No. 25 Sqn
         "                                   F/O Miles Miley, No. 25 Sqn
         "                                    LAC John Wyatt, No. 25 Sqn
September 18                         Sgt George Jefferys, No. 46 Sqn
         "                                    F/Lt Denis Parnall, No. 249 Sqn
September 27                         F/O Percival Burton, No. 249 Sqn
         "                                    P/O James Meaker, No. 249 Sqn
September 30                         P/O John Crossman, No. 46 Sqn
October 10                             Sgt Edward Bayley, No. 249 Sqn
October 15                             P/O Peter Gunning, No. 46 Sqn
       "                                      F/Sgt Eric Williams, No. 46 Sqn
October 22                             Sgt Robert Fraser, No. 257 Sqn
       "                                      P/O Norman Heywood, No. 257 Sqn
       "                                      Sgt Joseph Morrison, No. 46 Sqn
October 26                              P/O William Blair Pattullo, No. 46 Sqn
October 29                             AC1 Harold Elliott, Station North Weald
       "                                      Sgt Alexander Girdwood, No. 257 Sqn
       "                                     AC1 Luis Harradine, Station North Weald
       "                                      AC1 Thomas Saunders, No 249 Sqn
       "                                     AC2 Thomas Rothwell, No. 257 Sqn
       "                                      George Tyrrell, Civilian
October 30                             P/O William Millington, DFC, No. 249 Sqn
November 1                            Sgt Roger de Cannart d’Hamale, No. 46 Sqn
November 2                            P/O William Cochrane, Station HQ
November 9                            Sgt Bert Black, No. 46 Sqn
December 5                            P/O Cecil Young, No. 46 Sqn
           
1941
February 5                              Sgt Rowland Jones, No. 56 Sqn
February 26                            Sgt Arnold Turner, No. 56 Sqn
April 7                                     P/O Richard Wynn, No. 249 Sqn
April 20                                   F/O Norman Edmond, No. 242 Sqn
April 23                                   Sgt Alan David, No. 242 Sqn
April 26                                   Sgt Arthur Vaughan, No. 242 Sqn
May 21                                   Flt/Sgt George Hoyle, No. 56 Sqn
May 31                                   P/O Kazimierz Kubiak, No. 56 Sqn
June 14                                   P/O Tomas Kozak, No. 242 Sqn
June 17                                   Sgt Richard Carvill, No. 56 Sqn
   "                                          P/O Patrick Harris, No. 56 Sqn
   "                                          P/O Peter Robinson, No. 56 Sqn
   "                                          Flt/Lt Bruce Rogers, No. 242 Sqn
July 23                                     Sgt Alfred Gregory, No. 111 Sqn
August 5                                  P/O William Driver, No. 71 Sqn
August 9                                  P/O Benjamin Squires, No. 111 Sqn
     "                                        P/O Kenneth Taylor, No. 71 Sqn
August 19                                P/O Virgil Olson, No. 71 Sqn
August 19                                P/O George Skelly, No. 111 Sqn
August 27                                Flt/Lt John Martin, No. 222 Sqn
August 28                                LAC Harold Dicker, No 71 Sqn
     "                                        P/O Jack Weir, No. 71 Sqn
August 29                                Wing/Cdr John Gillan, Wing Leader
September 7                            P/O Hillard Fenlaw, No. 71 Sqn
        "                                     P/O Eugene Tobin, No. 71 Sqn
September 17                          P/O Thomas McGerty, No. 71 Sqn
September 20                          Flt/Lt Lionel Pilkington, No. 111 Sqn
September 21                          Sgt Kenneth Haine, No. 111 Sqn
        "                                     Flt/Sgt Robert Wharton, No. 111 Sqn
September 28                          Flt/Sgt John Connolly, No. 111 Sqn
October 15                             P/O Roger Atkinson, No. 71 Sqn
October 22                             P/O Lawrence Chatterton, No. 71 Sqn
November 15                          S/Ldr Stanley Meares, No. 71 Sqn
       "                                      P/O Ross Scarborough, No. 71 Sqn
December 8                            P/O Thomas Robinson, No. 222 Sqn
December 22                          LAC John Nattrass, No. 403 Sqn
 
1942
January 8                                 P/O Jack Gilliland, No. 121 Sqn
January 17                               Flt/Sgt Arthur Monserez, No. 403 Sqn
January 25                               P/O Frederick Duggan, No. 222 Sqn
January 27                               Sgt Maurice Rusk, No. 222 Sqn
February 9                              Sgt Albert Stockwell, No.3 Works Sqn
February 12                            P/O John Cawsey, No. 403 Sqn
February 27                            P/O James Ross, No. 222 Sqn
       "                                      Sgt John Wilson, No. 222 Sqn
March 8                                  P/O Douglas Aitken, No. 403 Sqn
March 17                                AC2 Douglas Brooker, No. 121 Sqn
April 11                                   Airman Claude Rammond, No. 222 Sqn
April 14                                   Flt/Lt Cyril Wood, No. 403 Sqn
April 15                                   Sergeant Pierre Mathillon, No. 222 Sqn
April 17                                   Flt/Sgt Frederick Austin, No. 121 Sqn
April 25                                   P/O William Munn, No. 403 Sqn
     "                                        P/O William Zoochkan, No. 403 Sqn
April 27                                   Flt/Lt Henry Duval, No. 403 Sqn
April 28                                   Sgt Ralph Batman, No. 222 Sqn
     "                                        P/O Carl Bodding, No. 121 Sqn
April 30                                   Lt Colin Steyn (SAAF), No. 222 Sqn
May 4                                     P/O Robert Brossmer, No. 121 Sqn
   "                                          P/O Ralph Freiberg, No. 121 Sqn
May 25                                   S/Ldr Jerzy Jankiewicz, No. 222 Sqn
May 27                                   Sgt Colin Armstrong, No. 222 Sqn
May 31                                   Flt/Lt Thomas Allen, No. 121 Sqn
June 19                                   Lt Karl Jacobsen, No. 331 Sqn
June 29                                   Lt Arve Aas, No. 332 Sqn
      “                                       S/Ldr Newton Anderson, No. 222 Sqn
      “                                       Sgt Denis Curling, No. 222 Sqn
July 21                                     Lt Henning Leifseth, No. 331 Sqn
July 24                                     Sgt Erik Malm, No. 332 Sqn
July 30                                     Sgt Barry Kaye, No. 222 Sqn
July 31                                     Sgt Svein Nygaard, No. 332 Sqn
      “                                       Sgt Olav Tandberg, No. 332 Sqn
August 19                                P/O John Gardiner, No. 403 Sqn
      "                                       P/O Norman Monchier, No. 403 Sqn
     "                                        P/O Leclare Walker, No. 403 Sqn
August 29                                Sgt William Meachen, No. 242 Sqn
October 2                               Sgt Frithjof Cleve, No. 331 Sqn
        “                                     P/O Raymond Phillips, No 486 Sqn
        “                                     Sgt Roald Sorensen, No. 331 Sqn
October 11                             V/Sgt Jan Løfsgaard, No. 332 Sqn
October 16                             Sgt Yves de Castro Henrichsen, No. 332 Sqn
November 20                          Lt Ulf Tandberg, No. 332 Sqn
November 29                          Sgt Einar Olsen, No. 331 Sqn
              “                               V/Sgt Guy Owren, No. 331 Sqn
December 13                         Kapt Stein Sem, No. 331 Sqn
 
1943
January 20                               Lt Peder Mollestad, No. 332 Sqn
January 21                               LAC Clifford Jones, No. 124 Sqn
January 26                               V/Sgt Emil Samuelsen, No. 332 Sqn
January 30                               Sgt Johan Eyde, No. 332 Sqn
February 10                            Sgt Reidar Watne, No. 332 Sqn
February 17                            Flt/Lt Frederick Chalk, No. 124 Sqn
      "                                       F/O Be rnard Hull, No. 124 Sqn
February 20                            Sgt Bruce Hirstch, No. 124 Sqn
April 5                                     Sgt Sverre Larsen, No. 332 Sqn
April 13                                   Sgt Eyolf Berg-Olsen, No. 331 Sqn
      “                                       Sgt Birk Gilje, No. 331 Sqn
April 16                                   Sgt Gustav Koren, No. 331 Sqn
May 2                                     Sgt Fredrik Eitzen, No. 331 Sqn
May 12                                   Sgt Bernt Barge, No. 332 Sqn
May 14                                   Flt/Sgt Eric Phelps, No. 124 Sqn
May 22                                   Sgt Erik Sand, No. 332 Sqn
May 26                                   P/O Lawrence Haynes, No. 124 Sqn
June 3                                     Flt/Sgt Leslie Morshead, No.124 Sqn
June 22                                   Lt Helge Sognæs, No. 331 Sqn
July 15                                     V/Sgt Harold Odman, No. 332 Sqn
September 3                           LAC John Hall, No. 2715 RAF Regiment Sqn
September 9                            Sgt Haakon Horg, No. 331 Sqn
September 27                          Sgt Arild Hellan, No. 331 Sqn
December 12                          F/O Kenneth Ewins, No. 168 Sqn
December 14                          Flt/Lt Robert Wakeling, No. 63 Sqn
 
1944
January 3                                 Flt/Lt Roger Cook, No. 168 Sqn
January 4                                 Fen Bjørn Stenstad, No. 331 Sqn
January 14                               Flt/Lt Richard Bock, No. 168 Sqn
January 30                               F/O Samuel Seddon, No. 268 Sqn
January 28                               F/O Michael Graham, No. 2 Sqn
     "                                        F/O Gordon McPherson, No. 2 Sqn
February 9                              V/Sgt Otto Treider, No. 331 Sqn
February 11                            AC2 John Brooks, No. 2 Sqn
February 19                            Fen Reidar Olsen, No. 331 Sqn
February 25                            Lt Fredrik Fearnley, No. 331 Sqn
March 20                                F/O Robert Ward, No. 1 Sqn
March 25                                Sgt Halldor Espelid No. 331 Sqn
      “                                       Fen Nils Fuglesang No. 332 Sqn
March 26                                Sgt Petter Aasebø, No. 331 Sqn
April 24                                   LAC Royston Lockwood, No. 74 Sqn
May 6                                     LAC Ernest Burgess, No. 127 Sqn
July 22                                     LAC Albert Day, No. 116 Sqn
   "                                          W/O Anthony Webber, No. 116 Sqn
August 9                                  W/O Leonard Woolgar, Station Ferry Flight
August 31                                Flt/Lt Frantisek Rehor, No. 310 Sqn
September 3                            P/O Antonin Skach, No. 310 Sqn
October 5                               Flt/Sgt Leonard Stockwell, No. 234 Sqn
October 19                             Sgt Isikeli Komaisaval, No. 234 Sqn
October 24                              Flt/Lt Leslie Rookley, No. 63 Sqn
December 23                         Flt/Lt Jaroslav Kauer, No.310 Sqn
 
1945
April 6                                      F/O James Kocaj, No. 285 Sqn
May 18                                    Flt/Sgt Teddy Redstone, No. 287 Sqn
July 27                                     W/O Franciszek B¹k, No. 301 Sqn
July 27                                     Sgt Eugeniusz Kocoñ, No. 301 Sqn
   "                                             F/Sgt Antoni Miko³ajczak, No. 301 Sqn
   "                                             F/Lt Alojzy Ratajczak, No. 301 Sqn
 
The Post-War years
June 15, 1949                         Pilot 2 Norman Wright, No. 601 Sqn
May 1, 1951                            F/O Harold Taylor, No. 72 Sqn
May 20, 1951                         S/Ldr Keith Lofts, No. 604 Sqn
June 4, 1951                           Sgt Charles Hunter, No. 72  Sqn
September 10, 1951             AC1 Francis Cross, No. 604 Sqn
January 7, 1952                     Sgt Peter Atkinson, No. 72 Sqn
July 12, 1952                          F/Lt Raymond Wyborn, No. 72 Sqn
      "                                         Sgt Cecil Randall, No. 72 Sqn
October 17, 1952                   P/O Ian Carmichael, No. 72 Sqn
October 17, 1952                   F/O Charles Muldownie, No. 72 Sqn
April 8, 1953                           Flt/Sgt Henry Stally, No. 72 Sqn
April 17, 1953                         P/O Gordon Livingstone, No. 72 Sqn
February 20, 1954                 F/Lt Andrew Lang, No. 604 Sqn
       "                                         P/O Byron Lewis, No. 604 Sqn
April 3, 1954                           F/O Peter Austin, No. 604 Sqn
August 11, 1956                     F/Lt Roland Hammerbeck, Sector Ops
June 7, 1957                           F/O David Garratt, No. 111 Sqn
July 30, 1957                          S/Ldr Leslie Mersham, OC Station Flight
 
The Memorial




In June 1952, HRH The Crown Princess of Norway, Princess Astrid, unveiled a granite obelisk beside the main gate, on behalf of the two Norwegian squadrons which were based at the airfield during the Second World War, dedicated ‘in gratitude to the Royal Air Force, to the RAF Station North Weald, and to the people of the district’.


However, there has been no memorial specifically commemorating the service of the hundreds of aircrew and thousands of airmen and women who served at North Weald of whom so many lost their lives in the Allied cause.
Over the years, several proposals were put forward to rectify the omission but not until February 2000 was the present memorial conceived. It has been specifically designed to be complementary — and to enhance — the original from Norway. The North Weald Airfield Memorial was dedicated on Sunday, September 3, 2000 — the 60th anniversary of the heaviest raid on the airfield. The memorial incorporates a bronze cabinet housing the Debt of Honour and visitors are encouraged to take a copy as a reminder of the debt we owe to those who entered the main gate . . . never to return.