Welcome to our new weekly feature in conjunction with Talk About North Solihull. Every Friday we’ll collectively research a random grave to see what we can find out about the people buried in it.
This week we’re focusing on the Walpole family grave.
To the glorious memory of Sergeant Pilot LESLIE B WALPOLE RAFVR the dearly beloved son of BERT and JESSIE WALPOLE who died of wounds received in action June 19th 1940, aged 22 years. Also their dearly beloved daughter JESSIE AGNES devoted wife of ERIC LUNN passed away March 5th 1947, aged 32 years. Also ADA JESSIE WALPOLE died March 6th 1951, aged 57 years.
Leslie Bertram Walpole was born in 1918, the son of Bertram H Walpole, a fitter and turner, and Ada Jessie Hathway. He had a sister, Jessie Agnes, born in 1915, and a brother, Donald E, born in 1924. In 1911 the family were living at 30 Bowyer Street, Saltley.
Leslie Walpole was a pilot in the RAF. On June 16th, whilst on convoy escort duties, he’d taken off from RAF Thornaby flying an Avro Anson MK1. The weather was poor and due to poor visibility he didn’t realise how low he was flying and at 17.20 the plane hit high tension cables. It stalled and crashed in flames into a hill ¼ mile SE of East Pasture Farm, North Skelton, 4 miles from Guisboroug. He died of his wounds 3 days later on June 19th 1940.
His sister Jessie Agnes married Edward C Lunn and gave birth to a daughter, Patricia in 1939.
His mother, Ada Jessie Hathway was the daughter of William C Hathway, a Gas Inspector and his wife, Mary. She had a sister Clara and a brother Arthur.
What more can we find out about the three people commemorated on this headstone?
