For the past 74 years, a Harrogate man has looked after the grave of Canadian airman at Stonefall Cemetery
John Charlesworth’s grandmother signed up for a Royal British Legion adoption scheme after the Second World War whereby local families agreed to lay wreaths on the graves of the fallen from across the Commonwealth. John was just four years old at the time.
His grandmother was allocated the grave of Flight Sergeant Maurice Durling, who was killed aged 22 in an air crash on his return from a bombing raid. He is buried alongside four Canadian comrades who died in the same crash.
More than half of Stonefall’s 1,000 graves are Canadian and the majority were airmen.
John visits the grave at least once a month and places his hand to say “hello”.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains the cemetery, believes John’s grandmother was one of 700 Harrogate residents who took part in the scheme but after so much time the details are hazy.
The family visited Flt Sgt Durling’s grave every month and, as a child, John would lay his hand on top of the headstone to let him know he was there. Almost three-quarters of a century later, he still does the same thing when he arrives.
Flight Sergeant Maurice Durling’s grave
Sgt Durling’s mother would send money each year for John and his family to lay flowers on her son’s grave.
He continues to visit the grave after all this time to continue the tradition his grandmother started all those years ago.
John doesn’t have any children and his family live far away so he will be the last of his family to attend the grave. He says he feels a sense of duty to keep alive the memory of those who served and hopes more people visit Stonefall.
“I wouldn’t want to think I had relatives buried thousands of miles away and no one visited them. It’s important for me to be here.
“I do feel very strongly that the graves are visited even if you haven’t adopted one, just to walk up and down them and look at their names and ages.
“Now I realise the sacrifices they made and how high the death rate was I feel even more strongly.”
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A Cross of Sacrifice at Stonefall was unveiled on July 8, 1951 once all the headstones were in place.
To commemorate the 70th anniversary of its unveiling, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is hosting free guided tours at Stonefall between July 8-11.
You can book to attend here.
