Neil Clark Posted 7 February , 2008 Share Posted 7 February , 2008 You need to have a look at a PDF report on this page - http://www.kentfallen.com/Kent%20War%20Memorials.html Go down to DARTFORD area and look at DARTFORD CEMETERY (Joyce Green). Sorry I seem to have lost the original photos on my PC! During last weekend I was taking some photos of the war graves in Dartford's Watling Street Cemetery. Adjacent to the main entrance there is a row of war graves in line and next to eachother. All are Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force casualties during the Great War. First of all I couldn't understand why these RFC graves were placed in one line but after thinking about it I came up with the idea that these are all casualties of RFC JOYCE GREEN. As most of you will already know, this was a very important early airfield which was used for training purposes and home defence. Many well known aces learnt their trade here including local Gillingham hero Major Jimmy T.B McCudden VC. I can not prove these graves are all connected to JOYCE GREEN but was hoping for some kind of clarification from all you fly boy enthusiasts out there.... The only other nearby airfield in use during the Great War was RAF Gravesend (about 10 miles distant). What do you think? Thanking you all in anticipation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 7 February , 2008 Share Posted 7 February , 2008 Almost certainly from Joyce Green. Was there an airfield at Biggin Hill by that time? Not far away but possibly too far to move men from BH for burial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 8 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 8 February , 2008 Glad you agree Jonathan. I must say I'm surprised this thread has only generated 1 reply. I thought more people would be interested in these casualties who all lost their lives at Joyce Green which was one of the most important airfields of the whole war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 9 February , 2008 Share Posted 9 February , 2008 Was there an airfield at Biggin Hill by that time? Not far away but possibly too far to move men from BH for burial. Flying started from Biggin Hill in early 1917. I've discovered at least one WW1 casualty from there in nearby Keston Churchyard, so probably they would not have been transferred to Dartford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 9 February , 2008 Share Posted 9 February , 2008 Neil - are there any RFC/RAF ORs there too? I noticed one Sgt (possibly on flying duties) otherwise all the photos you posted on the Kent Fallen for Watling St Cemetery were officers. Its safe to assume the officers were primarily killed in flying accidents but I was surprised there were no ORs from accident, illness etc. Regards, Jonathan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 10 February , 2008 Share Posted 10 February , 2008 Neil According to the CWGC website, Van Ryneveld, Thompson, Gunther, and March were all with 63 Training Squadron, and Tucker was with 5 Training Depot Squadron. (Wheelock is down as "General List"). No doubt some-one out there can confirm to us whether 63 TS and possible also 5 TDS were based at Joyce Green? Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Clark Posted 11 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2008 I'm afraid I didn't search the cemetery very well. I went there to take a Buffs VC (Smith) who is buried there. I noticed these FRC/RAF officer graves when I left the cemetery. They are all together in one line. I suspect all were killed on duty flying from Joyce Green. There can't really be any other explanation. No other WW1 airfield is near. As for the unit reference quoted on CWGC, I have often found these out of date or just simply wrong. Family sometimes gave outdated information to the authorities. Joyce Green was used to train pilots as well as contributing towards home defence. Many units were stationed there throughout the Great War including some Reserve (later named Training) Squadrons. I try and search the cemetery more thorough next time I'm passing that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linzee Posted 23 June , 2008 Share Posted 23 June , 2008 Hi Neil, I wonder if you happened to notice if there was the grave of a WWII airman during your visit. I am researching the loss of a Hudson crew in November 1941 and according to the CWGC website one of the crew is buried in Watling Street Cemetery. Flight Sergeant Robert John NEVILLE (905772) RAFVR – Age 25, son of Robert Ruston Fowler Neville and Lilian Neville of Dartford, husband of Frances May Neville of Dartford. He was with 608 Squadron who were based at RAF Thornaby and the aircraft he was onboard crashed into a hillside in Aberdeenshire after being diverted to RAF Kinloss on return from an operation on the Norwegian coast. As he was killed in the UK his family obviously reclaimed his body for burial at home. I'm looking for a photograph of his grave to include on a web page I am making about the loss of his aircraft. I visited the crash site in May this year. Apologies for being slightly off topic. Thanks in advance. Linzee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 24 June , 2008 Share Posted 24 June , 2008 I will be going to the cemetery in the next few days, I will try to find it. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 24 June , 2008 Share Posted 24 June , 2008 I have all his details off CWGC web site including the grave location number. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linzee Posted 24 June , 2008 Share Posted 24 June , 2008 Thank you very much John, that's most kind of you. If it's not easy to locate then please don't feel you have to spend copious amounts of time hunting high and low for it. When I write up details for my website I like to try and include photographs of the graves but it's not essential. Some of the other aircraft I've researched are here http://www.archieraf.co.uk/scs/index.html so you have an idea of what I would use the photograph for. Thanks again Linzee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 30 June , 2008 Share Posted 30 June , 2008 I'm off there this afternoon. Johnh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 30 June , 2008 Share Posted 30 June , 2008 Linzee Please find attached photographs, I'm afraid that the grave is very neglected. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linzee Posted 30 June , 2008 Share Posted 30 June , 2008 Dear John, My grateful thanks to you for making the effort to visit the grave of Sgt Neville to take a photograph. With your permission I would like to add it to the page on my website dedicated to the loss of his aircraft http://www.archieraf.co.uk/scs/hudsonam883.html I will of course use your name as credit for the photographs. I note that his grave has Sgt Pilot as does the CWGC website. I have other information stating he was the W/Op AG onboard so I'll need to make further checks into that. I was quite shocked to see the dreadful condition of the grave. Not sure if there is anything I can do about that since it does not appear to be the standard CWGC headstone, rather more like a family plot which I suppose would make it tricky. I'm not sure the CWGC would be bound to do anything about it so guess it would be down to the local council? It's good to know though that in the space of two months his grave and the place he died have both been visited and that he is not forgotten. My thanks once again, Linzee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 30 June , 2008 Share Posted 30 June , 2008 Linzee It is a family plot as his brother Mother and Father is in the plot, his brother aged 8 died in 1925 his father died in 1944 and his mother in 1945, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linzee Posted 30 June , 2008 Share Posted 30 June , 2008 John, many thanks for that. It doesn't seem that much attention has been paid to this particular grave in a long time. I will make enquiries about who is responsible for the upkeep and draw their attention to the state it is in just in case there is something that can be done. Apologies again for any hijacking of this thread but I hope that the outcome will mean I'm forgiven?! All the best Linzee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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