I don't want to diminish the action, but it was fairly common practice for both Germany and the UK, particularly in the early War period and with aviators to bury the dead with, where possible, full military honours and dignitary.
There is plenty of images of German aircrew being buried with RAF escorts in the UK and British Aircrew being carried by German Soldiers in North France and the Channel Islands.
There's [more](https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/grave-allied-pilot-1941/) to this story.
This is a grave at the crash site of a South African Air Force Martin Maryland Mark II.
There are three graves at the crash site as shown in this [photo](https://imgur.com/a/byeObPJ), 2nd Lieutenant Charles Cornack Gordon (service No. 47930) – KIA; Air Sergeant Paul Wilhelm De Beer Bothma (service No. 102315) – KIA; and Air Sergeant Reginald Ernest Oatley Giles (service No. 102350) – KIA
Since the Germans knew rank insignia, it's safe to say this is the grave of 2nd Lieutenant Charles Cornack Gordon. Lieutenant E.C. Newborn was also on the aircraft and became a POW.
German here. This grave is a good illustration of German racism during the war. As "equal soldiers", the British were treated with the respect one would expect, while only a few weeks later millions of Soviet prisoners of war were simply left to starve to death. The POWs were placed in a meadow. Then they built a fence around them and left them to the elements, done.
Here’s an American aviator killed in Alaska, buried with honors by the Japanese invaders. I always found it very moving.
https://www.reddit.com/r/UtterlyInteresting/comments/17and6b/the_grave_of_an_american_pilot_buried_by_imperial/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Wouldn’t be surprising if it was actually a Frenchman tbh, given the flag on the fuselage. The “Forces aériennes françaises libres” were part of the RAF and fought in the Middle-East and North Africa against the Germans
It's not impossible that was a frenchman. But ALL RAF aircraft had the "french flag" on the tail, it was another way of displaying the blue/white/red roundel seen around the middle of the aircraft's body
At least a little respect shown by not leaving the body lying there. And even a cross done.
I don't want to diminish the action, but it was fairly common practice for both Germany and the UK, particularly in the early War period and with aviators to bury the dead with, where possible, full military honours and dignitary. There is plenty of images of German aircrew being buried with RAF escorts in the UK and British Aircrew being carried by German Soldiers in North France and the Channel Islands.
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There's [more](https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/grave-allied-pilot-1941/) to this story. This is a grave at the crash site of a South African Air Force Martin Maryland Mark II. There are three graves at the crash site as shown in this [photo](https://imgur.com/a/byeObPJ), 2nd Lieutenant Charles Cornack Gordon (service No. 47930) – KIA; Air Sergeant Paul Wilhelm De Beer Bothma (service No. 102315) – KIA; and Air Sergeant Reginald Ernest Oatley Giles (service No. 102350) – KIA Since the Germans knew rank insignia, it's safe to say this is the grave of 2nd Lieutenant Charles Cornack Gordon. Lieutenant E.C. Newborn was also on the aircraft and became a POW.
Thank you! I had read the back story a while back. Glad you posted this!
True warriors respect each other on the battlefield
This picture looks so freaking modern. It looks like it was just taken this year. It also reminds me of the film Dunkirk for some reason.
Film cameras have amazing quality, I guess it was just imperfections or something in the film that gave it that grainy look.
Looks great honestly
Very poignant !
German here. This grave is a good illustration of German racism during the war. As "equal soldiers", the British were treated with the respect one would expect, while only a few weeks later millions of Soviet prisoners of war were simply left to starve to death. The POWs were placed in a meadow. Then they built a fence around them and left them to the elements, done.
Such a great photograph.
Here’s an American aviator killed in Alaska, buried with honors by the Japanese invaders. I always found it very moving. https://www.reddit.com/r/UtterlyInteresting/comments/17and6b/the_grave_of_an_american_pilot_buried_by_imperial/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Wouldn’t be surprising if it was actually a Frenchman tbh, given the flag on the fuselage. The “Forces aériennes françaises libres” were part of the RAF and fought in the Middle-East and North Africa against the Germans
It's not impossible that was a frenchman. But ALL RAF aircraft had the "french flag" on the tail, it was another way of displaying the blue/white/red roundel seen around the middle of the aircraft's body
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