Maureen ensures tragic Tern Hill heroes' names live on

And as long as Maureen Plews has anything to do with it, the names of those airmen who are buried at Stoke-on-Tern cemetery will live forever.

"My husband is buried at this cemetery and every time I go there I visit each of the war graves, and speak their names - they say if you mention their names they will never be forgotten," said Maureen, of Rose Hill, near Market Drayton.

This month's 100th anniversary of the RAF and in particular the story of Tern Hill airfield have brought back some family memories for her.

Tern Hill aerodrome was created in the old Royal Flying Corps days, even before the RAF was born in April 1918. After the Great War the airfield closed, only to be reborn in the mid-1930s as war clouds gathered once more.

Maureen said: "Your Picture From The Past showing Tern Hill reminded me of a story my in-laws told me when I first married into the family.

"They were haulage contractors and during the war were employed to transport Italian prisoners of war from the internment camp to the local airfields at Tern Hill and Shawbury to help lay the runways.

"The family provided materials, equipment and supervision, presumably some time in the 1930s.

"You may be interested to know there are 43 war graves at Stoke-on-Tern cemetery. Many were casualties around the Tern Hill area. There was also a large military dental hospital close to the camp which may have been responsible for a few more.

"Eight of the graves are of First World War airmen, from 1917 to 1919. The rest are between 1940 and 1950.

"Ages range between 18 to 48 years. There is a New Zealander seconded from the Black Watch, one from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, another from the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, an Australian Jew in the RAF, a South African and what may be an Italian in the RAF."

She ensures they continue to be honoured.

"I put a small pebble on the Jew's grave and on Remembrance Day put a red rose on each war grave.

"The Royal British Legion also puts poppies on them. They will never be forgotten as long as I am able to visit them."

Maureen included details of the Great War graves, which we can briefly flesh out with extra information from the book Pancakes & Prangs, by Shropshire air crashes researcher Tom Thorne.

Second Lieutenant W.J. McGinn, Royal Flying Corps, died February 18, 1918, aged 20. According to Tom Thorne's book Wilfrid Joseph McGinn, from Dixon's Corners, Ontario, Canada, was on a training flight from Tern Hill aerodrome. His Bristol Scout crashed near the airfield when it failed to recover from an intentional spin.

Second Lieutenant Andrew John Cumberland, RFC, died January 3, 1918, aged 20. Does not appear in Tom Thorne's book, so not flying related. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records him as "son of Thomas D. and Helen Cumberland, of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Joined Canadian Forces February 1915, and was wounded in France on October 4, 1915."

Second Lieutenant Robert Ernest Cleary, RFC, died December 18, 1917, aged 22. Spun in near Tern Hill aerodrome while flying a Sopwith Camel. He was from Dunedin, Ontario, Canada.

Second Lieutenant D.G. Scott, RFC, died December 13, 1917, aged 21. Douglas Gordon Scott was born in Hawick, Scotland, but the family emigrated to Toronto. He crashed his Sopwith Camel at Tern Hill aerodrome after trying to loop-the-loop too low.

Second Lieutenant F. Jickling, RFC, died October 23, 1917. Frank Jickling, aged 22, of Winnipeg, Canada, was on a training flight from Tern Hill in an Avro 504A when he was in a collision with another of the squadron's aircraft. Both planes came down at Heath Field, Colehurst. The other pilot, Leslie Thomas Hogben, aged 18, was also killed and was buried at his native city of Canterbury.

Second Lieutenant S.H. Smith, RFC, died October 23, 1917. Flying an Airco DH5, he had engine trouble, and while trying to land back at Tern Hill stalled and crashed. Sidney Harold Smith, aged 34, left a widow in North Crumpsall, Manchester.

Second Lieutenant H.F. Meyer, RFC, died October 15, 1917. His Airco DH5 crashed two miles south of Tern Hill aerodrome when the upper right wing tip came off. Herbert Frederick Meyer, aged 29, grew up in Vernon, British Columbia.

Private F. Ogden, RAF, died August 11, 1919. Died at Tern Hill from a non flying related cause. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records him as a member of 13 Training Squadron, RAF.