War hero grave: Family is found

Kyt · Dec 8, 2008

War hero grave: Family is found - Gazette Live

AN appeal in the Gazette has helped uncover the mystery behind a Teesside war hero whose grave was discovered in a rundown Spanish cemetery.

And now campaigners are calling for action in a bid to see the forgotten hero’s burial site tidied up.

In May this year the Gazette carried an appeal to trace family members of Sergeant Philip Bernard Crossan, of Borough Road, Middlesbrough, who served in the Royal Air Force in the Second World War.

He was just 21 when his plane went down in Southern Spain in April, 1942.

Sgt Crossan is buried in Huelva city’s British Protestant Cemetery, in southern Spain.

His gravestone was discovered by Tom Dooley, an ex-pat who lives in Spain, and he started looking into Sgt Crossan’s story.

He and friend John Corbey decided the grave was in such a poor condition that something should be done.

John and Tom contacted the Gazette and after a story was published they got in touch with Barbara Donaldson, of Great Ayton, who is Sgt Crossan’s cousin.

Now the three are determined to do something about the state of Sgt Crossan’s grave, and that of his Australian flying companion Geoffrey Lennox Avern.

Barbara, 71, a mother of four and grandmother of six, who is married to Leslie, 74, was shocked to see the article about her cousin - and the state of his grave.

She said: “Both his father and mother have died and I didn’t think more about it, but I knew the name when they showed me the piece in the paper.

“I used to go to stay with my aunt and uncle but Philip was not really there because he was away with the air force so I never had that much to do with him personally.”

Barbara, who with her husband, was a farmer for 50 years, said it was “terrible” that the graves were in such a state.

“I’m not in a position myself to go over there and keep it right,” she added.

Sgt Crossan and his Royal Australian Air Force pilot were killed while in transit to the Middle East via Gibraltar when their aircraft went down near the village of Gibraleón.

Tom said he had a suspicion the aircraft was shot down.

“There are reports of British aircraft having been fired on, especially when flying in the vicinity of Gibraltar,” he said.

Philip was unmarried and an only child. His mother died in 1973 and his father in 1981.

Tom added: “His grave and that of his colleague lie in a desolate foreign cemetery forgotten by all except Doña Isabel Naylor de Mendez, an aged but trim, neatly dressed and sprightly Anglo-Spanish lady.”

On each Remembrance Sunday she places a tulip on the headstones.

Attempts to identify responsibility for maintaining the graves have failed.

But Tom is appealing to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Office to see action.

Tom said: “Wherever the responsibility lies, officialdom has shown a shameful disregard for the men who gave their lives in defence of ideals supposedly held in high esteem by that same officialdom.”
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liverpool annie · Dec 8, 2008

Kyt said: ↑

War hero grave: Family is found - Gazette Live
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“His grave and that of his colleague lie in a desolate foreign cemetery forgotten by all except Doña Isabel Naylor de Mendez, an aged but trim, neatly dressed and sprightly Anglo-Spanish lady.”
On each Remembrance Sunday she places a tulip on the headstones
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How lovely of her ..... people who are strangers are wonderful aren't they ??

Kyt · Dec 8, 2008

Coincidentally the same story was posted on raf commands and Chris replied with:

402482 Sgt G.L. Avern Pilot RAAF and 998371 Sgt P.B. Crossan W.Op/Nav were ferrying a Beaufighter 1 T4936 from RAF Trebeluze (St Mawgan Cornwall) to Gibraltar. Both had been serving at RAF Wattisham with 236 Beaufighter Sqdn.
Chris
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Antipodean Andy · Dec 8, 2008

I was going to say it must have been a Beau given the two crew on a ferry flight.

Some good details for Geoff there.

spidge · Dec 9, 2008

Sgt Avern was from Cooma in New South Wales. The only other war dead there is:

LONGTHORPE, PERCY, P Able Seaman J/10308Royal Navy14/12/1918 24

The cemetery is owned by the British Government.

Huelva is the chief town of the province of the same name in the south-west of Spain, and is a port on the Atlantic coast. The British Cemetery, which belongs to the British Government, adjoins the town cemetery and they can both be found about 4 kilometres to the north-east of the town. No. of Identified Casualties: 3

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