The story behind a memorial
On the south wall of St Mary the Virgin in Kinwarton is a bronze plaque with the image of a Wellington X111 bomber. The inscription runs as follows – “In proud and loving memory of Kenneth George John Wakefield Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force shot down at Le Cour de Breel, Normandy on 8th August 1944 and presumed killed with John his navigator and Kenneth his gunner”. At the bottom is a verse from Psalm 55 “He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me”.
Recent research into Kenneth’s family, prompted by plans for a memorial at the crash site, has revealed some fascinating details. His father, Alfred Thomas Wakefield from Henley-in-Arden, emigrated to Honolulu with his wife Mary Gertrude Smith. Following her husband’s death in a drowning accident, Mary, now pregnant, decided to return to England and booked a passage on the SS Lusitania. The sinking of this great liner shocked the world. On her passage from New York to Liverpool, she was torpedoed by German U-Boats off Southern Ireland on 7th May 1915, with the loss of 1,153 lives.
Remarkably, Mary was one of only 768 survivors and she gave birth to Kenneth a few days later in hospital in Country Cork. At first she lived in London with her young son, but in 1935 went to live at Alne Cote, Great Alne. By then, Kenneth had already joined the RAF and was flying Whitley bombers at RAF Dishforth in Yorkshire. In 1939, on the day before the outbreak of the Second World War, Kenneth married the daughter of the Rector of Kinwarton, Margaret Fenwick. Her father officiated at the wedding in Thirsk.
After D Day, Kenneth was with 69 Squadron at RAF Northolt flying the Wellington Mk XIII – a photographic reconnaissance variant of the bomber. On 8th August 1944 he flew a photoreconnaissance mission over Normandy, behind enemy lines. The low flying aircraft was picked up by searchlight and hit by anti-aircraft fire, causing it to crash out of control and on fire. Three of the crew perished, including Kenneth. Only the photographer, Flying Officer John Frederick Allen Neal parachuted to safety. With help from the French, he evaded capture, and twelve days later reported to the American Forces at Menil de Briouze.
In August 2007, a memorial to the crew was unveiled at the crash site in La Cour de Breel in Normandy.
