Cemeteries containing known graves of 26 Squadron crew members that were killed in action are detailed on this page. Many of those killed in action have no known grave site and are commemorated on various memorials. Some photos can be clicked for larger images.
SAAF 26 Squadron War Graves & Memorials
Du Plantation Cemetery, Harbel, Liberia
This Cemetery contains 11 Commonwealth burials of the second World War including nine airmen of 26 Squadron that were killed together on 3rd February 1944.
This cemetery contains 2 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war and 62 of the 1939-1945 war. In addition there are 25 non world war burials and 4 non Commonwealth burials here. This cemetery contains eighteen 26 Squadron burials:
Takoradi European Public Cemetary, Ghana
Yaba cemetery contains nine 26 Squadron burials:
Yaba Cemetery, Lagos, Nigeria
The Malta Memorial is situated in the area of Floriana, Malta, and is easily identified by the Golden Eagle which surmounts the column. It stands outside the main entrance to Valletta.
The Malta Memorial commemorates almost 2,300 airmen who lost their lives during the Second World War whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa, Yugoslavia and Gibraltar, and who have no known grave.
Photos courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The Malta Memorial commemorates almost 2,300 airmen who lost their lives during the Second World War whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa, Yugoslavia and Gibraltar, and who have no known grave.
Photos courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Malta Memorial, Floriana, Malta
Malta Memorial Panel 12 Panel 17 Panel 19
Umtentwini Memorial
This memorial is located near Anchor Bay, Umtentweni in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Sadly the memorial is overgrown and was largely forgotten until re-discovered by local resident, Richard Farrell, who is attempting to gather local interest in order to ensure its preservation.
The memorial is a 2 meter high granite obelisk. The Moths want to move it to the local cemetery, Unbelievably the local council has apparently asked them to get rid of it. Little is known of the memorial's origins other than that it was paid for by subscription by local residents shortly after the war to remember their sons.
Lt Lieutenant R L B Fillis was a Radio Operator/Air Gunner with 26 Squadron. He is buried in the Du Plantation Cemetery in Harbel, Liberia, along with eight other airmen of 26 Squadron that were killed together on 3rd February 1944. Their Wellington (HZ 524) crashed while trying to land at Roberts Field in darkness & fog, overshot the runway & hit a tree; the burned-out remains were found 4km from the airfield.
The memorial is a 2 meter high granite obelisk. The Moths want to move it to the local cemetery, Unbelievably the local council has apparently asked them to get rid of it. Little is known of the memorial's origins other than that it was paid for by subscription by local residents shortly after the war to remember their sons.
Lt Lieutenant R L B Fillis was a Radio Operator/Air Gunner with 26 Squadron. He is buried in the Du Plantation Cemetery in Harbel, Liberia, along with eight other airmen of 26 Squadron that were killed together on 3rd February 1944. Their Wellington (HZ 524) crashed while trying to land at Roberts Field in darkness & fog, overshot the runway & hit a tree; the burned-out remains were found 4km from the airfield.
The memorial is in the bushes below the placemark. The building across the open space used to be the village town hall and was used for armistice day parades in the past.
Latitude 30°43'10.49"S
Longitude 30°28'21.91"E
Latitude 30°43'10.49"S
Longitude 30°28'21.91"E
equilateral triangle - the form of the today’s delta aircraft wing profile. 36 olive trees form an avenue next to the road leading to the Memorial.
In 2001 (Swartkop’s 80th anniversary) a Memorial Wall was unveiled recording the names of all SAAF fallen and in 2002, a Memorial to the Unknown Airman. A Garden of Remembrance has subsequently also been added, on the southern slopes of Bays Hill affording a peaceful view over Swartkop, the cradle of the SAAF.
In 2001 (Swartkop’s 80th anniversary) a Memorial Wall was unveiled recording the names of all SAAF fallen and in 2002, a Memorial to the Unknown Airman. A Garden of Remembrance has subsequently also been added, on the southern slopes of Bays Hill affording a peaceful view over Swartkop, the cradle of the SAAF.
The SAAF Memorial, Bays Hill, Swartkop
The names on the memorial are :
Lt R L B Fillis SAAF (26 Sqn)
Lt J J Holgate 1st Bat RDLI
WOII W G Jones SAAF
Lt H A R Male SAAF (31 Sqn)
Lt H Thompson SAAF
Lt R L B Fillis SAAF (26 Sqn)
Lt J J Holgate 1st Bat RDLI
WOII W G Jones SAAF
Lt H A R Male SAAF (31 Sqn)
Lt H Thompson SAAF
Panel Photos: Elizabeth Ferguson, volunteer, South Africa War Graves Project
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Photo courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Photo courtesy of David Morty
Photos courtesy of Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Lt EA Baxter
Lt SS Beattie
Air Mech AL Bee
Lt ANC Fell
Lt TL Habergam
Capt HO Macdonald
Flt Sgt L Morland
Lt DC Morrison
Flt Sgt CG Motley
Flt Sgt RV Murray
Flt Sgt T O'Leary
Maj RM Perkins
2nd Lt CL Rogers
Lt EJ Rollnick
WO II S Sackstein
2nd Lt EL Saul
Lt RM Schadwell
Air Mech BD Tolmay
Lt SS Beattie
Air Mech AL Bee
Lt ANC Fell
Lt TL Habergam
Capt HO Macdonald
Flt Sgt L Morland
Lt DC Morrison
Flt Sgt CG Motley
Flt Sgt RV Murray
Flt Sgt T O'Leary
Maj RM Perkins
2nd Lt CL Rogers
Lt EJ Rollnick
WO II S Sackstein
2nd Lt EL Saul
Lt RM Schadwell
Air Mech BD Tolmay
Lt WH Currie
Air Mech TC Hiatt
Air Mech JJ Jordan
Lt A Klatzkin
Air Mech HJM McLaughlin
LT DG Sarson
LT JS Viljoen.
Sqn Ldr H Beattie (RAFVR)
Flt Lt AR Quinn (RAFVR)
Air Mech TC Hiatt
Air Mech JJ Jordan
Lt A Klatzkin
Air Mech HJM McLaughlin
LT DG Sarson
LT JS Viljoen.
Sqn Ldr H Beattie (RAFVR)
Flt Lt AR Quinn (RAFVR)
Air Mech ER Andrews
LT P Cronin
Lt RLB Fillis
Lt DHG Lawrence
WO1 DC Long
Lt DE McNab
Lt IV Rowe
2nd Lt WR Scott
Air Mech FB Sundstrom
LT P Cronin
Lt RLB Fillis
Lt DHG Lawrence
WO1 DC Long
Lt DE McNab
Lt IV Rowe
2nd Lt WR Scott
Air Mech FB Sundstrom
Directions : From ELWA/Tubmanburg Junction in Monrovia. Drive 20.6 miles to Careysburg (hard top road). Turn Right at Firestone Plantation Gate 15 intersection. Drive 400 meters to Gate 15 (There will be guards here) Drive 4.5 miles (look right for Duside Hospital on hilltop). Turn right onto Hospital entrance road. Drive 400 meters to Firestone Duside Hospital Security Gate. Guards will need to see that you have obtained official permission from Firestone or have a Liberian Government official with you to enter. Drive 600 meters past the security gate and to the right of the hospital (hard top, then gravel road, then dirt trail). There is a very small dirt trail branching off to the right. You can stop and park your vehicle here. Walk 300 meters along the dirt trail and you will see the war graves in a row although they may be obscured by the vegetation. Coordinates to cemetery: N 06’ 21.370 W 010’ 28.300
Photo courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Directions: Takoradi European Public Cemetery lies north of Takoradi airport, on the main road running westward from Takoradi to Axim, and is about 3 kilometres from the centre of town. It is adjacent to the public cemetery.
The co-ordinates are N 4 54 21.3 W 1 46 28.46
The co-ordinates are N 4 54 21.3 W 1 46 28.46
This cemetery is located in Yaba, a suburb of Lagos, within Atan, a large civil cemetery, on the Eastern outskirts of Lagos, on University Rd, beyond Moorehouse Rd & the Medical Research Institute. Yaba contains the largest concentration of 1939-1945 war graves in Nigeria. The graves are arranged in four plots, the two plots at the far end where the Mohammedans & Pagans lie, being separated by an avenue from the two in the foreground, which contain the European & African Christian burials.
Photos courtesy of Richard Farrell
As you approach the SAAF Memorial, you cannot but stand in awe at its simplistic yet intricate beauty. The design of straight lines and complex triangles radiates a life of its own.
Dedicated to those that gave their lives in the service of their country, in war and in peace, the Memorial, was opened in 1963 on Bays Hill. The site commands a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside and was chosen because it overlooks the buildings and runway of Swartkop, the first Air Force Station in the Republic (as ‘Zwartkop’ in 1921) as well as the departure point during World War II for most SAAF personnel going “Up North”.
The Memorial was designed to obtain a shape sculpturally symbolic of flight when viewed both from the ground and from the air. To this end, the basic element used throughout the design is that of the
Dedicated to those that gave their lives in the service of their country, in war and in peace, the Memorial, was opened in 1963 on Bays Hill. The site commands a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside and was chosen because it overlooks the buildings and runway of Swartkop, the first Air Force Station in the Republic (as ‘Zwartkop’ in 1921) as well as the departure point during World War II for most SAAF personnel going “Up North”.
The Memorial was designed to obtain a shape sculpturally symbolic of flight when viewed both from the ground and from the air. To this end, the basic element used throughout the design is that of the
Note : Burial details of the other three men listed on this memorial may be found by searching the records on the Commonwealth War Graves commission (CWGC) website which is to be found at http://www.cwgc.org