St. Wilfreds, Brayton

Located in large grounds which include a dell consecrated for scattering ashes, and which contains a shallow pond, this large church is also popular with wildlife, with a breeding pair of greater spotted woodpeckers being seen in the grounds.

Despite the ample grounds, the graveyard is rather small, but spread out.

Only two extant war graves are located at this church -

1061578  Sgt  Cryer, N.D.
Pilot, RAF
5 August 1941  Age 20

4684630 L/Sgt  Walker, E.
43rd Searchlight Rgt, Royal Artillery
5th Bn The Duke of Wellingtons Rgt
27 September 1946  Age 39

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

St Mary's, Church Fenton

Church Fenton, or Kirk Fenton as it is otherwise, including on the church notice board, known, served not only the parish, but also, until its final closure a short while ago, the RAF airfield of Church Fenton. It is perhaps odd to see an otherwise ancient church equipped as St Mary's is with a set of Aircraft Warning Lights!

St. Mary's Church Fenton has one extant war grave. There is also a plaque on a family interment, Detailing one Michael Gaunt, died age 20 on 16 April 1948, and marked specifically as RAF. This I think deserves a little further research. The date is post hostilities for WW2, but of course the RAF were serving still in many parts of the world in 1948. This could be a family marker to reflect a loss interred in some remote commonwealth cemetery.

The extant grave is also interesting as it seems to show a change in unit, perhaps as a result of an injury during service.

Extant war grave St. Mary's, Church Fenton -

1802143  Gunner  Darley, W.
53rd Searchlight Rgt, Royal Artillery
Late of 5th batt. Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
9 June 1944  Age 35

This grave also contains family interments.

All Saints, Saxton

There are no extant war graves at All Saints, Saxton

A small memorial stands by the gate at the corner of the church yard.

Holy Trinity, Barkston Ash

Holy Trinity is a far newer building than its construction would suggest, being paid for by the village. Its grounds contain only a small garden of remembrance, for cremations only. Burials are either carried out at Sherburn or Saxton.

There are no extant war graves

St. Mary's, South Milford

St. Mary's chruch South Milford is enclosed by a small but well wooded churchyard, and accompanied by a neat modern municipal cemetery across the road.

 It has a small rose window, but the compactness of the grounds make this a difficult church to photograph.

The small cenotaph, somewhat hidden away, records over twenty first world war losses, of which a significant number are KOYLI

The two extant war interments are neatly located in the corner of the churchyard

St. Mary's South Milford extant war graves -

5/223183  Pte  Walker, J.R.
KOYLI
16 February 1919  Age 18

22075  Pte  Grimbley, T.  (Thomas)
West Yorkshire Rgt
16 June 1919  Age  29

All Saints, Sherburn In Elmet

All Saints church, Sherburn In Elmet, affords a large area of consecrated ground. A hilltop site, the hill drops away sharply to the north, commanding an impressive view over the vale of York.

 

Four extant war graves are to be found here. Unlike most churchyards, these are not arrayed neatly

This is the first graveyard in which I have located an extant KOYLI grave. These are of particular significance to me, as KOYLI is an antecedent of 8LI, and hence KOYY(LI), my regiment.

Also of interest, Sherburn holds the grave of a soldier of the Artists Rifles.
 

Of particular interest, are the dates of the WW1 graves. These are all 1919, post hostilities. In many ways this makes sense, as the majority of those killed during WW1 are interred in commonwealth cemeteries close to the battlefields.

Extant  war graves at All Saints, Sherburn In Elmet -

4690839  Pte  Gatenby, G.E.
KOYLI 

22 April 1944  Age 24

4693135 Craftsman Atkinson, G.
REME
6 December 1942  Age 24

WR/29809 Sapper  Whittaker, F.
Royal Engineers
24 February 1919  Age 42

2019 Pte  Rhodes, C.A.
Artists Rifles
31 October 1919  Age 29

Survey coverage

This survey is to encapsulate the Selby District. The map below indicates the area covered by the district and the villages and towns that this survey will visit