Norfolk Churches and the Second World War

Church of St Mary, Whissonsett

The village of Whissonsett was home to Lieutenant Colonel Derick Seagrim V.C. and Major Hugh Seagrim G.C. They were sons of the Rector of St Mary’s Church. The Seagrim brothers are the only siblings to have been awarded their country’s highest awards for gallantry, the Victoria Cross and the George Cross.

Derick attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and joined The Green Howards in 1923. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Derick became an RAF Air Liaison Officer in East Africa. He then received a promotion to Major and saw action in Greece, before commanding the 7th Battalion, The Green Howards, in El Alamein, Egypt. In February 1943 the British Eighth Army advanced west from Libya into Tunisia and came up against the formidable fortifications of the Mareth Line stretching from the coast to the Matmata Hills. The objective of Lt Col Seagrim’s battalion was to capture an important objective on the left flank. Enemy defences comprised a 12ft wide by 8ft deep anti-tank ditch surrounded by minefields. Despite hails of mortar, machine gun and artillery fire killing many of his men, Lt Col Seagrim was first across the ladder over the anti-tank ditch and led the assault. He personally killed or captured 20 Germans and the objective was achieved. A German counter attack the next day proved futile. Lt Col Seagrim died of wounds received at the Battle of Wadi only 15 days later and was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously.

Derick’s younger brother Hugh also attended Sandhurst and joined the Indian Army as a Second Lieutenant. From 1940-41 Hugh served as a Captain in the 3rd Battalion Burma Rifles. In February 1943 he was selected to join Force 136 of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and his group operated in the Karen Hills of Burma alongside the local Karen people. Every evening Major Seagrim would read out chapters from the Bible in Burmese to his comrades. Major Seagrim led many successful ambushes and raids against the Japanese, who began torturing local villagers to try to find out his whereabouts. In February 1944, Major Seagrim escaped an ambush of his group which resulted in the deaths of two fellow British officers. In response the Japanese arrested 270 Karens but they stood firm and refused to give up the officer they affectionately called ‘Grandfather Longlegs’. Threatened with the systematic murder of the hostages, Major Seagrim walked into the Japanese camp and gave himself up on 15th March 1944. He was executed along with eight other soldiers on 14th September 1944. Major Seagrim was awarded the George Cross posthumously. He had already received a military MBE and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

The Seagrim brothers lie thousands of miles away from Whissonsett but are commemorated on the war memorial in the churchyard, on displays in the church, and on the village sign by the entrance which shows them in their uniforms. Beneath the sign is a plaque presented by the Karen Hilltribes Trust which reads ‘Grandfather Longlegs we remembered so we came, we thank you.’

This officer has remained 380 miles within enemy-held territory ever since its occupation by the Japanese forces in April 1942. The fact that he has remained alone in constant danger and has maintained pro-British sympathies in adverse circumstances, has proved his determination, courage and devotion to be of the highest order.

An extract from the recommendation for Major Hugh Seagrim’s DSO 

Church of St Andrew, Quidenham

The 96th Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was based at Snetterton Heath Airfield in South Norfolk. Young men from the western USA arrived in 1943 to join in the battle of the skies. The Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses and has an impressive list of battle honours. It attacked industrial targets such as factories, shipyards, harbours, railway yards, aerodromes and oil refineries across occupied Europe. Other missions included the bombing of coastal defences, gun emplacements and bridges prior to and during D-Day on 6th June 1944. Daylight raids had resulted in unsustainable losses for American bombers in 1943 but in 1944 Allied escort fighters gained superiority over the Luftwaffe and daylight bombing recommenced. Due to the proximity of Snetterton Heath to the 3rd Divisional Headquarters at Elveden Hall, the 96th often led major operations carrying commanding generals. After VE Day, it dropped food and supplies into the Netherlands. 938 members of the 96th Bombardment Group made the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War, amounting to the second highest loss rate of the 8th Army Air Force, which was more than the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ based at nearby Thorpe Abbotts. It flew 321 missions and lost 190 aircraft. The servicemen enjoyed much fellowship with the people of Quidenham parish, knew the vicar as a friend and counsellor, worshiped and married in the church, and fell into their bombing formations over the tower. Rationed Britain was introduced to American peanut butter, doughnuts, chewing gum, popcorn and Coca-Cola. In 1944 the Reverend W. Harper-Mitchell began planning for a new memorial chapel in St Andrew’s Church. The east window of the south aisle was designed by Sergeant Gerald Athey of the 413th Squadron and depicts an airman and radiant Christ. On 2nd November 1944 the Memorial Chapel and window was dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich and became the earliest Eighth Bomb Group memorial in Norfolk. On the altar is a selection of photos and newspaper cuttings. There is also a Roll of Honour. An old Nissen Hut, formerly the mortuary for the base, is now a museum and study centre. It is located in the grounds of the Aurora Eccles School and is open several days a year.

Two years ago this ancient hamlet saw the coming of many of our trans-Atlantic cousins into its midst for it was the time of war and once again, when our ancient civilization was in danger, they were to stand side by side as in a former struggle with our beleaguered island in her hour of need. Over field and lane, over cottage and church the warring forces of the air were to fly.

Soon we came to know our visitors and in many a hearth and home a warm welcome would be found; and in the ancient church, whose doors were ever open to shed its peace and strength on those who came to worship with us. But alas! As in every way, sorrow was soon to fall as one and then another failed to fly their return journey over church and village and we knew the supreme sacrifice had been paid.

An extract from the broadcast of a special Memorial Day Service in St Andrew’s Church to the USA on 30th May 1946

Norwich Cathedral

Germany invaded France on 10th May 1940 and rapidly pushed the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) along with French and Belgian forces back to the English Channel. The 2nd Division of the BEF retreated 40 miles within 27 hours. With several other divisions, it was tasked with forming a cordon around the BEF’s line of retreat. Few soldiers who took part in this difficult assignment returned home. The decision was then made to evacuate Allied forces from Dunkirk, the last port in British hands. The 2nd Division was ordered to maintain its position defending Le Paradis and neighbouring hamlets, allowing other formations to retreat. Heavy fighting ensued on 27th May and the defenders eventually ran out of ammunition. The 99 surviving men of the Royal Norfolk Regiment surrendered to troops of the 2nd SS Totenkopf (Death’s Head) Regiment who lined up them up against a barn and mowed them down with machine gun fire. Two men survived, Private William O’Callaghan and Private Albert Pooley, and hid in a pig sty for three days before being discovered by the farm’s owner. French civilians risked their lives to care for them but the men were later captured by German forces and sent to a military hospital. Albert was repatriated in 1943 but his story was not widely believed. William returned to England after the war and confirmed Albert’s story, prompting an official investigation. SS-Oversturnbannführer Fritz Knöchlein, who oversaw the massacre, was convicted of war crimes and executed in 1949. The Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Le Paradis is the final resting place of the massacre victims and others killed during the fighting in the area. In 2007 graves were found near Le Paradis which suggest that around 20 men of the Royal Scots who surrendered were also murdered in a separate massacre. The sacrifice of the 2nd and other divisions assisted in the successful evacuation at Dunkirk from 26th May – 4th June. In total, 338,226 men (including 123,000 French soldiers) were evacuated. A memorial to the Le Paradis Massacre was unveiled at Norwich Cathedral in July 2021 by HRH the Princess Royal. Every year, a remembrance service is held at the Cathedral commemorating those who died. There is also an annual commemoration in Dereham, William’s home town, and in Le Paradis. The road William O’Callaghan Place in Dereham was named in his honour.

My scream of pain mingled with the cries of my mates, but even before I fell into the heap of dying men, the thought stabbed my brain, “If I ever get out of here, the swine that did this will pay for it.”

From Private Albert Pooley’s account of the Le Paradis Massacre

Church of St Bartholomew, Norwich

The parish of Heigham, a suburb to the west of Norwich, is characterised by its tightly packed rows of Victorian terraced housing near the city’s waterworks. St Bartholomew’s Church fell victim to extensive German bombing on the night of 27th April 1942, carried out in response to the Allied bombing of Lubeck and Rostock. The attack on Norwich was part of what became known as the ‘Baedeker Blitz’, in which poorly defended centres of culture such as Exeter, Bath, Canterbury and York were targeted. ‘Baedeker’ refers to the Baedeker guidebooks of Great Britain which were mentioned by Baron Gustav Braun von Stumm, a spokesman for the German Foreign Office, during a speech on 27th April 1942, “We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide.” Norwich was attacked again on 8th and 9th May but the raid was largely ineffective despite more than 70 aircraft taking part. Norwich City Station was lost in the bombings, along with parts of St Stephen’s Street. The thatched buildings on All Saints’ Green, notably Bond’s department store, were completely destroyed by fire. Four other churches were badly damaged; St Julian’s was rebuilt, St Benedict’s tower remains but both St Michael at Thorn and St Paul’s have been demolished. 67 people died in the Norwich Blitz and the ruins now serve as memorials to those who died.

Church of All Saints, Bawdeswell

On 8:45 pm on 6th November 1944 a Mosquito bomber was returning to RAF Downham Market from a raid on Gelsenkirken, Germany, and crashed into All Saints’ Church, completely destroying it and badly damaging nearby houses. It is believed that the aircraft’s controls became iced-up during the descent through cloud and the pilot could no longer maintain height. Pilot Officer James McLean and Sergeant Melvin Tansley of 608 Squadron were both killed. The resulting fire in the church was so ferocious that additional firefighting crews had to be called in from nearby U.S.A.A.F. Weston Longville. The Revd. H. Folland and local helpers salvaged the altar, altar rails, ornaments and the Roll of Honour. A memorial in the church comprises metal from the wreckage. The cross from the top of the tower survived and also commemorates the airmen. The Mosquito was a multirole combat aircraft which was could carry out daytime tactical bombing, high-altitude night bombing, pathfinding, day or night fighting, maritime strikes and photo-reconnaissance. The attack of 6th November 1944 was a diversionary raid to draw German fighter aircraft away from attacks by nearly 400 Lancaster Bombers on Gravenhorst and Koblenz. The 11 other Mosquitos of 608 Squadron returned safely to Norfolk. The church on this site had undergone many evolutions prior to this disaster. The original building was Norman and alterations were carried out in the 14th century. In 1739 the tower collapsed into the church which was then largely rebuilt in the Neoclassical style. In 1844 the church was completely rebuilt. The current church was dedicated in September 1955.

HE’S OUTSOARED THE SHADOW OF OUR NIGHT AND LEFT THE VIVID SKIES SIGNED WITH HIS HONOUR

Inscription on the gravestone of Sgt Melvin Tansley

Church of St Mary, Gresham

Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Batt of Gresham Hall had four sons: Thomas, Edgar, Robert and William. Out of the four, only one survived the war. The first to die was Major Edgar Batt (b. 1905) who served in the Royal Horse Artillery. He sustained wounds during the fighting in Alexandria, Egypt and appears on a casualty list as ‘dangerously ill’ on 24^th September 1940. He died on 8^th October and is buried in Alexandria Military Cemetery. Major Thomas Batt (b. 1909) served in the Coldstream Guards and received the Military Cross in 1940 for ‘conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in May and June 1940 throughout the withdrawal especially on the night of 2/3 June 1940, when he helped to organise withdrawal of the last remaining British troops on the beaches at Dunkirk with such skill that the final evacuation was carried out almost without loss. Captain Batt remained on the Mole to the last, directing traffic with a megaphone and setting a magnificent example of calmness and courage.’ Major Batt returned following the D-Day landings in June 1944 and led his squadron, pushing forwards with their Sherman tanks towards the Orme bridge. Strong opposition was encountered and having lost a couple of tanks, Major Batt continued on foot. He was shot by a German sniper and is buried in the St Charles de Percy Military Cemetery. Lieutenant Robert Batt (b. 1907) died 18 days later on 21^st August 1944 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne whilst serving with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Little is known of the circumstances surrounding his death. Major William Batt MBE (b. 1904) survived the war and undertook several distinguished roles in the service of his county including Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff. He was a man of faith and a dedicated home missionary. Their father, Lieutenant Colonel Reginal Batt, was an officer in the Royal Fusiliers and served in the First World War. The Batt brothers are commemorated on a memorial in St Mary’s Church, Gresham. Notice the bat above the family crest.

Church of St Mary, Great Bircham

A special plot in the south eastern corner of St Mary’s churchyard was set aside soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, initially for men from nearby RAF Bircham Newton. This area was also used for the burial of service dead whose bodies were washed up by the sea and German airmen brought down in the Battle of Britain. 11 German and 66 Commonwealth servicemen, from Britain, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, are buried here. In the north west corner of the burial area is a Canadian Maple tree which was presented by the Government and People of Canada. The first burial was that of Emil Rödel, a German airman who was killed in December 1939. The majority of German servicemen who died in captivity or were killed in action over Britain during both World Wars are buried in the Soldatenfriedhof German War Cemetery at Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. Standing near the east wall is the Cross of Sacrifice, found in any cemetery with more than 40 war graves. The Cross of Sacrifice in St Mary’s churchyard was the first to be erected after the Second World War, unveiled by King George VI on 14th July 1946. The King was accompanied by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. A bronze plaque records these facts. Queen Elizabeth II returned on 16th July 2006 for a commemoration service for the 60th anniversary of the unveiling. She laid a wreath and met relatives of those buried in the churchyard.

Church of St Martin, Houghton-next-Harpley

St Martin’s Church sits in the beautiful parkland of Houghton Hall. In the churchyard is a memorial plaque to 6 crew members of Avro Lancaster PB351 H-Harry 460 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force who died when their plane crashed on 23rd October 1944. The plane was returning to RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire following a raid on Essen, the crew’s tenth mission, when it struck cloud and on descending hit a tree 70ft high in the parkland of the Hall. The Rear Gunner Flight Sergeant Rupert Bergelin was alive and trapped in the rear turret seriously injured. He died shortly afterwards. The sole survivor was Air Gunner Flight Sergeant John Cannon who lay unconscious in the parkland all night. The next morning he confronted a man, believing him to be a German farmer, but was told “You be in Norfolk boy. That’s King’s Lynn over there.” He made a trip back from Australia to Houghton Hall in 1988 and had tea with Lady Sybil Cholmondeley. John died in 2007 aged 82 and is also commemorated on the plaque. The plaque was unveiled in 2015 by Wing Commander Anthony O’Leary of the Australian Royal Air Force. RAF Bomber Command was created in 1936 and developed over the course of the Second World War into a force able to wield immense destructive power. In 1940 Bomber Command conducted night-time bombing raids against German industry but hitting individual factories was particularly difficult. German anti-aircraft guns and night-fighters became more effective, resulting in heavy losses. In 1942, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris took charge of Bomber Command and the mighty four-engined Avro Lancaster came into use. Area bombing of whole cities was deemed a necessary measure against the ascendant German war machine. The attack on Cologne on 30th-31st May 1942 was the first 1000-bomber raid. By the end of the war, the majority of German industrial cities had been reduced to rubble by Allied bombing. However, Bomber Command’s casualty rate was extremely high. 55,573 were killed out of a total of 125,000 aircrew (a 44.4% death rate). 8,403 were wounded in action and 9,838 became prisoners of war. An infantry officer in the First World War had a higher chance of survival than a Bomber Command crew member. The high death rate is a reflection of their dedication and bravery in carrying out their orders.

Church of St Margaret, Burnham Norton

Major David Jamieson VC (1 October 1920 – 5 May 2001) is buried in St Mary’s Churchyard in Burnham Norton. David was born in Westminster and attended Eton College. He enjoyed many summer holidays at his family’s retreat in Norfolk. In 1939 David joined the 5th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment, before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 7th Battalion. During the Fall of France in June 1940, David was in Rouen and was able to return to Britain. In 1944 he was a 23-year-old captain in the 7th Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest British award for gallantry in the face of the enemy. David’s brave deed occurred on 7th August in Normandy, France. He was the only officer remaining in D Company and led a 3-day closely-fought defence of the bridgehead the company had established over the River Orme, repelling seven German counter attacks. At one point David mounted the last British tank in order to direct the commander to retreat. This heroic act was immortalised in a painting. The tank was hit and David was blown off, losing an eye and suffering a wound to his arm. After the war, David became the Governor of the Australian Agricultural Company and later the director of National Westminster Bank. Standing at 6’5″, he served as the ceremonial umbrella man to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother during her engagements. David died on 5th May 2001 in Burnham Market. His Victoria Cross medal is displayed in the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum in Norwich Castle.

Church of All Saints, Swanton Morley

RAF Swanton Morley’s place in the history books is firmly established due to its two ‘firsts’, the magnitude of which is difficult to overstate. From here, the fearsome Mosquito aircraft entered service in an RAF Squadron for the first time in November 1941. On 4 July 1942, six crews from the 15th Bombardment Squadron and six crews from 225 Squadron took off from RAF Swanton Morley as part of the first combined American-British bombing raid of the Second World War. In attendance were Winston Churchill and General Dwight Eisenhower who recognised the significance of the event and its propaganda potential. The targets were German airfields in the Netherlands. The airfield was used by 2 Group RAF Bomber Command until December 1944 and then 100 Group until the end of the war. 100 Group were responsible for developing and carrying out electronic warfare in order to counter German defences against British strategic bombing. This included the targeting of radar-equipped Luftwaffe night fighters as they were coming in to land after a mission and jamming German radio communications. The airfield was home to Spitfires, Blenheims, Mosquitos, Wellingtons and U.S.A.A.F. Bostons and Mitchells. In All Saints’ Church is a window installed in 1990 which commemorates the role of the airfield in the Second World War. It features a Cross of Sacrifice in the centre light, a list of squadrons and units based there, the George Cross, the Victoria Cross and various crests. At the top are four planes associated with RAF Swanton Morley: the Anson, the Blenheim, a cadet glider and a Typhoon. 23 airmen are buried in the churchyard, a significant proportion of whom served with the Royal Canadian, New Zealand and Australian Air Forces.

Living here among you we would join you at your play,

And in the quiet of your church we knelt with you to pray.

We filled your lanes and byways with laughter and with song,

We shared each other’s sorrows as through life we journeyed on.

Here both men and maidens tended to the harsh and warlike needs,

Of men who through the darkest hours flew their man-made steeds.

The sky at night their hunting ground, in which they sought their prey,

Returning only when the night gave way to breaking day.

From ‘An Airfield Remembered’ by S. F. Ruffle, 23rd Squadron