Selby Cemetery

Selby councils municipal cemetery covers a large town plot and is divided into several sections, due to how land has been acquired in time.

There were a few surprises here. I knew from satellite images that there was a small war cemetery section in the southern corner, but was surprised to find that the majority of the 24 or so interments there were of the RAF. This is a nicely kept plot alongside a wall that also holds a WW1 cenotaph, and, surprisingly, a memorial to the dead of the Boer War and South African campaigns.

More poignant however, is the grave of an unknown member of aircrew. This intrigues me. I can understand how a sailor lost at sea, or an infantryman killed in an artillery barrage,  might become impossible to identify, but aircrew would be in a particular aircraft, and even if a body could not be identified, I would have thought the process of elimination from the other aircrew of the ship would have been sufficient. This is something I will have to research further.

Many more war graves are to be found dispersed throughout the cemetery grounds. These include a George Medal, A Battalion Sargent Major, and a Wing Commander, winner of both DSO and DFC.

Some sixty two war graves are extant in Selby Cemetery -

4017913  Sgt  Anson, G.A.
Pilot, RAF
16 February 1942  Age 29

912524 Cpl  Howes, K.I.
RAF
28 February 1942  Age 27

Volunteer  Porter, E.
10th West Riding Bn, Home Guard
5 August 1941

738072  LT/KX, Stoker 2nd Class RNPS  Allerton, G.W.
HMS "Sir Francis Drake"
21 August 1945  Age 18

4347259 Sapper  Dye, C.A.
Royal Engineers
28 February 1945  Age 24

1381732 Sgt Sneesby, R.
Wireless Op./Gunner  RAF
25 June 1943  Age 21

1592761 Aircraftsman 2nd Class, Clarkson, K.
RAF
7 November 1943  Age 19

13010605  Sgt  Coles, G.
Royal Pioneer Corps
6 December 1947  Age 42

Flying Officer  Ewin, E.H.
Air Gunner, RAF
5 March 1945  Age 23

Flying Officer  Hooper, J.
Navigator, RAF
5 March 1945  Age 34

Pilot Officer  Smith, C.M.
Air Gunner, RAF
8 February 1945  Age 24

Flying Officer  Evans, T.L.M.
Pilot, RAF
18 November 1944  Age 23

550323 Flt Sgt  Benfield, V.H.
RAF
19 June 1943  Age 24

1802077 Sgt  Saines, K.E.D.
Air Gunner, RAF
14 November 1944  Age 30

Wing Commander Wilkerson, D.S.S.  [DSO, DFC]
Pilot, RAF
16 September 1944  Age 27

Flt Lt  Day, M.C.
Pilot, RAF
21 July 1944  Age 21

1011171 Leading Aircraftsman  Rudge, H.
19 June 1943  Age 23

1111437 Sgt  McDermott, D.
Flight Engineer, RAF
10 May 1944  Age 21

511509 Sgt  Francis, E.D.
RAF
19 June 1943  Age 31

1622397  Sgt  Rockingham, P.H.
Navigator, RAF
10 May 1944  Age 21

1312076 Aircraftsman 1st Class  Stubbs, S.M.
RAF
19 June 1943  Age 35

1623490 Sgt  Lee, L.
Flight Engineer, RAF
26 November 1943  Age 20

1374432 Leading Aircraftsman  Taylor, R.M.
RAF
16 June 1943  Age 35

1390412 Sgt  Harwood, J.L.
Pilot, RAF
31 August 1943  Age 29

1479455 Aircraftsman 2nd Class  Cousin, J.R.
RAF
19 June 1943

1391617 Sgt  Gamble, A.J.
Air Gunner, RAF
7 September 1943  Age 22

An Unknown Airman of WW2
19 June 1943

1807584 Sgt  Peck, G.H.
Air Gunner, RAF
12 July 1943  Age 19

1374424  Aircraftsman  Smith, H.
RAF
19 June 1943

Flying Officer  Tremear, J.H.
U/T Navigator, RAF
12 July 1943  Age 36

1419217  Aircraftsman 2nd Class  Powell, J.E.
RAF
19 June 1943  Age 32

1130523  Sgt  Salad, J.
Flight Engineer, RAF
3 May 1943  Age 27

1600881  Aircraftsman  2nd Class  O'Donnell, A.C.
RAF
19 June 1943  Age 21

4345865 Sgt  Greenhorn, W.
Pilot, RAF
3 May 1943  Age 30

415200 Sgt Pheloung, C.E.
Pilot, RNZAF
4 April 1943  Age 25

995669  Flt Sgt  Whyte, G.H.
Wireless Op/Gunner, RAF
21 January 1943  Age 22

538177 Sgt  Wardrope, S.M.C.W.
RAF
25 January 1943  Age 24
(Temporary Marker - Headstone renovation)

1261299 Sgt  Tremain, J.T.
Air Gunner, RAF
7 February 1943  Age 22

R.52121  Sgt  Drake, J.L.
Flight Engineer, RCAF
26 February 1943  Age 24

404068  Flt Sgt  Hodsell, J.H.
RNZAF
15 August 1942  Age 22

400689 Flt Sgt  Baxter, R.W.  [GM]
RAF
7 August 1942  Age 24

403768  Flt Sgt  Rowe, N.R.
Observer, RNZAF
12 August 1942  Age 22

755837  Flt Sgt  Tipple, A.R.
Wireless Op/Gunner, RAF
7 August 1942  Age 21

5440446  Pte  Inchley, J.
Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry
24-25 January 1941

1583393 Gunner  Whittam, L.W.
Royal Artillery
8-11 July 1941  Age 27

1416342  W.O.II [Bn Sgt Mjr]  Bowyer, E.G.
Royal Horse Artillery
12 October 1941

1333817 Sgt  Weller, H.
Air Gunner, RAF
7 August 1942  Age 21

T/4349557  Driver  Yardley, W.E.
Royal Army Service Corps
16 December 1944  Age 33

516750 Sgt  McKenzie, C.W.
Observer, RAF
9 August 1940  Age 24

208519 Pte  Nutt, H.
West Yorkshire Regiment
7 July 1918  Age 18

10684  Pte  Lowry, L.
West Yorkshire regiment
28 March 1919  Age 30

TRB172901  Pte  Quinn, H.
88th Training Reserve Bn
28 December 1916

45223 Pte  Lamb, B.
Lincolnshire Regiment (Egypt)
3 October 1917

200158 Pte  Lumley, W.
West Yorkshire Regiment
16 November 1918  Age 24

8428 L/Cpl  Forster, J.
East Yorkshire Regiment
31 December 1915  Age 27

T4/057490  Driver  Stead, A.R.
Royal Army Service Corps
12 March 1916

3614 Pte  Walker, J.W.
West Yorkshire Regiment
11 August 1916

M/416734 Pte  Bickerton, E.I.
Army Service Corps
12 November 1918  Age 31

WR/203692  Sapper  Pickering, P.
Royal Engineers
17 November 1918  Age 23

6485 Guardsman  Otley, B.J.
Coldstream Guards
28 August 1919

133545 Staff Sgt  Bosworthick, T.E.
Machine Gun Corps
26 January 1920

39320 Pte  Dobson, R.
West Yorkshire Regiment
18 February 1919