RAF SPECIAL DUTIES Walsh, James Edward

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Walsh ​

• FORENAME

James Edward ​

• UNIT

624 Squadron (R.A.F.V.R.) ​

• RANK

Sergeant ​

• NUMBER

1652695 ​

• DATE OF DEATH

14th July 1944 ​

• AGE

​

• GRAVESITE

Runnymede Memorial,Surrey Panel 239 ​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

son of John and Ann Walsh
husband of Elsie May Walsh,Grange,Cardiff,Glamorgan
Halifax JN8884
crashed Nistos,Hautes Pyrenees,France ​

 

[Quiggers]

James Edward Walsh

The gravesite is NOT at Runneymede - Sgt Walsh, with his 6 fellow crew members, was actually buried by the local French villagers on the mountain where they crashed. Later the local French, with the help of the French military built a permanent cemetary for these 7 young men despite the location being 4,500 feet up a mountain and an hours trek from the nearest road. The cemetary is visited regularly by hundreds of people, with full ceremonies to honour the men taking place every few years. It is looked after by a local ex-pat French Canadian.