Follow up to Sgt Kirwan WW2 story

Follow up to our posting 18th January 2019

With a further update on 29th October 2019 at the end of this posting


Sergeant John Anthony Kirwan of Dungarvan co Kilkenny    WW2
RAF Air Gunner DFM
Service no: 1067998,
49th Squadron
8th July 1944


Eric Whittle in Australia, found my home telephone number and called to Ireland very early one morning after Christmas.


 His follow up email...

A TALE OF TWO FRIENDS

My father, Bert Whittle, is a WW2 RAF pilot veteran. He was shot out of the sky over The Netherlands and spent three years as POW, but still going strong at age 97 and living in Perth Western Australia.

When he enlisted in 1938 he started training at the RAF School of Photography at Farnborough, Hampshire. There he met a young Irishman by the name of John Kirwan and they soon became firm friends. Both were still teenagers. John attended a Whittle family wedding (Bert’s older sister) Daphne, that same year, and while on leave for Christmas they made a trip to Ireland where Bert met John’s family. 

John attending  Berts sister Daphne's wedding

        Bert Whittle, Bill, Daphnes new Husband, Peter Whittle, John Kirwan, and Bills friend.

Memory is not so clear these days but it seems that this adventure involved a train ride to a village south from Dublin.

Bert went on to do pilot training in Arizona before returning to operational duties at 25 OTU Finningley. The two men lost contact in the chaos of the time. Soon after the war Bert emigrated to Australia where he has further survived several careers, two marriages and a good many offspring. But he regrets not searching out his friend John Kirwan, or perhaps his fate.

As an addendum: A search of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website will find a Sgt. John Anthony Kirwan DFM (now buried in France), son of Michael and Bridget Kirwan of Dungarvan, County Kilkenny. Part of his story can be found here: http://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Kirwan_JA  

Coincidently when we recorded the graveyard at Dungarvan co Kikenny, back in 2014 and 2015 we noticed the inscription on this Kirwan family grave mentioned, Jack 1944.  A chance meeting later, with Annie Kelly (Sgt John Kirwans niece) with her son Gerard told us who Jack was.  We researched his military career and filed the information.

Eric and hs wife travelled to Ireland and visited John Kirwans family at Dungarvan co Kilkenny.
They they travelled on to France
This is Eric Whittle visiting the grave of Sergeant John Anthony Kirwan in the Community Cemetery Near Conche, in Eure, France.

Eric Whittle

Dear Bernie and Mary,

We’re home again at Margaret River and settled in after some jet-lagged nights. 

The last few days in Europe were spent in the Austrian Alps near a little town called Söll; absolutely stunning in the mountains, and of course a totally different way of life.

But what made the whole trip worthwhile was our stay in Ireland. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. After leaving Kilkenny we called in to visit the grave of Father Linnane at Saint Patrick’s Church, just north of Bealaclugga in County Clare. Father L was a kind mentor to my Mum in Australia, when she was a teenager. She gave me a special stone to leave at his resting place. Instead, the local priest (now retired) who we met there said he would bless the stone and keep it in the church. Mum is so pleased!

We hired a car in Cologne and drove through Netherlands, Belgium and France. In Elsloo (Netherlands), we stood on the precise place at a road intersection where Dad's Wellington bomber L7802 came down. More recently, a road crew digging at the site found one of the aero engines! A young local historian has even written a book about the crash with images, official records, etc. Unfortunately it’s not available in English text. 

We stayed a few days in Ypres (the local Dutch/Flemish prefer Ieper) and attended the Last Post ceremony at Menin Gate. After visiting several memorials for the allies (a good many Irish and Aussies lay there) who perished in Belgium and Northern France, then acknowledging civilian casualties and of course the Germans, I just can’t grasp the total carnage of the time. What a bloody waste.

 

We found my Uncle Peter’s grave in Miraumont. Also met an English couple (retired teachers) who live within 3 minutes walk of the cemetery, and have arranged with them to put some flowers on Peter’s grave on what will be his 100th birthday in May next year.
 

Then on to see Jack. After a minor detour to Le Chesne, Ardennes (oops!) we found Jack’s crew in the village of Le Chesne, Normandy. We decided to share his flowers with all the boys, I’m sure he didn’t mind. With beautiful farmland crops stretching for miles around, and children’s laughter in the school playground opposite, I can’t imagine a more peaceful or fitting place for them. I’ve attached a few pics here. Notice the little blue cross of remembrance we found against Jack’s stone. Also, the crew have been included on a memorial stone in front of the village church.

Please pass on love and best wishes to Jack’s clan, from Bert and myself.
 I shall always remember Anne’s warm kitchen and home cooked offerings.

Tell Annie I’ll drop in again one day for another slice of that apple pie, I’m sure of it.

These seven are the only Common Wealth War Graves in Le Chesne Cemetery, Eure, France

The crew of the Lancaster LM541 (EA-N)

F/L G.E. Ball DFC Pilot
Sgt E. Wardman F/E
P/O G. Millar NAV
P/O J. Kernahan W/OP
Sgt J.A. Kirwan DFM A/G
P/O G.A.Rae RCAF A/B
F/S G.J.W. Parkinson DFM A/G

>

 Hi Bernie and Mary,

Yes, Bert was keen for details of how the journey played out, particularly in Kilkenny. Discovering that John's story is such a valued part of Kirwan family heritage was very satisfying to him. He will always be saddened by the circumstances of John’s end, but quietly proud that he had known such a man and met his family. And a loose end, a mystery to him, has been resolved at last. 

Bert Whittle

29th October 2019

This morning from Eric in Australia

Mary and Bernie,
You've done a wonderful job with the update of this story of Jack and Bert.  And there are countless others that intersect with it that stretch out like a borderless mosaic.  For example, it is generally accepted that there are seven Commonwealth War Graves in this Cemetery; in fact there are eight.  Notice behind Jack's stone is another dedicated to RAF fighter pilot Flight Lieutenant D. C. Webb, brought down in June 1944 (perhaps only a few weeks before Jack's crew) " and found his French Friends"  Webb was buried here in 1992.  Perhaps he came after the war to work for the CWGC and attended to Jack and the others.
The inscription on the blue cross against Jack's stone reads: Visited by Anne & Peter Harden Chickerell Weymouth Dorset UK, Thank You for Your Sacrifice
Eric Whittle