St.Mary's Church in the Somerset village of West Harptree and its memorial to two RAF servicemen.

I recently had cause to travel along the A368, cutting across the Chew Valley from the A37 at Chelwood Bridge, to the A38 at Churchill.  It’s a very pleasant undulating drive through the picturesque villages of Compton Martin, West Harptree, Blagdon and Rickford with the Mendip Hills to the south and Chew Valley Lake and its smaller neighbour Blagdon Lake to the north.

At West Harptree I decided to stop and have a stroll around with my camera.  Situated in the centre of the village and flanked by yew trees, St. Mary’s Church is very photogenic; it is one of the minority of Somerset churches which have a spire.  Pevsner describes the church as standing: “. . . at a corner full of interest in all directions.”  Just west from St. Mary’s is a charming Jacobean manor house while across the road is Gournay Court, a large early seventeenth century house built of red sandstone.  The mid seventeenth century Tilly Manor Farm sits adjacent to Gournay Court.  To the north-east of the church is the Vicarage with a  façade dating from around 1700.  The village pub, The Crown, sits opposite the church to the east.

A view of West Harptree in Somerset looking east from St. Mary's Church. 

Looking inside the south porch of St. Mary’s I came upon a memorial plaque to two RAF men killed in the Second World War.  One of them, Sgt H.D. King is lying at rest in a Commonwealth War Grave near the western wall of the churchyard.  I took some photos and decided to do some research when back at home.

St. Mary's Church, with its memorial clock, in the village of West Harptree, Somerset.

I discovered that both these young RAF men were members of specialist units.  Sgt Herbert Donald King was an Air Bomber (Bomb Aimer) serving with 138 Special Duties Squadron equipped with the Halifax flying from RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire, and was one of two Special Duties Squadrons.  The other was 161 Squadron.   The two squadrons flew in support of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) whose job it was to promote sabotage and subversive activities against the Germans.  Both squadrons flew all over Europe, from Norway in the north to Yugoslavia in the south and as far east as Poland.  Their missions were to parachute agents, arms and equipment into enemy occupied territory. 

On the night of 16/17 December 1943 Sgt King and seven others flew a mission to Carcassonne in the South of France to drop 12 containers and 5 packages to the resistance.  After a twelve hour flight they encountered severe weather conditions on their return to England and decided to land at Woodbridge in Suffolk.  Sadly their aircraft, Halifax Mk.5, LL115 NF-A, crashed into trees at Capel Green; three men survived, but Sgt King and four others of the crew were killed.  Aged 26 he was the son of Herbert Tyler King and Hilda Annie King of East Harptree.

LAC Alfred George Salvidge was serving with the RAF’s 5 Beach Unit in Italy.  Unfortunately he was killed in a road accident near Naples on 17 March 1944 and is buried in Naples War Cemetery.  Aged 24, he was the son of Alfred and Edith Salvidge of West Harptree.

I had never heard of RAF Beach Units but to quote Mike Fenton’s very informative website RAF Beach Units of the Second World War their role was: “To assist with the landing, assembly and onward despatch of RAF personnel, stores and equipment across the invasion beaches.” 

Both men are remembered.  The memorial plaque in St. Mary’s porch states:
“This memorial clock was erected in the tower of West Harptree Church by the parishioners to the glory of god and in perpetual memory of

Flt Sgt H.D. King RAFVR

LAC G.A. Salvidge RAF

who gave their lives for us in the cause of freedom during the Second World War 1939-1945 also in grateful recognition of those men and women who served from this parish in the armed and auxiliary services of the Crown.

Friend behold me here I stand, to tell the time at thy command, friend be wise and learn from me, to serve thy god as I serve thee.”*

*The CWG headstone in the churchyard is engraved with the rank of Sergeant.  In RAF records and on the CWG headstone in Naples LAC Salvidge’s initials are A.G.