RAF SPECIAL DUTIES Wharmby, William Ronald

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Wharmby ​

• FORENAME

William Ronald ​

• UNIT

624 Squadron (R.A.F.V.R.) ​

• RANK

Sergeant ​

• NUMBER

1248157 ​

• DATE OF DEATH

14th July 1944 ​

• AGE

23 ​

• GRAVESITE

Runnymede Memorial,Surrey Panel 240 ​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

son of William and Florence Wharmby
husband of Jessie Elizabeth Wharmby,Bulwell,Nottinghamshire
Halifax JN8884
crashed Nistos,Hautes Pyrenees,France ​

 

[Quiggers]

William Ronald Wharmby

The gravesite is NOT at Runneymede - Sgt Wharmby, 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.