Lorna's step-cousin Dennis

At the time that Lorna was writing her war diary at Raglan House in Malvern, her Uncle Percy W, Aunt Madge, and four of their seven children (Lorna's cousin Miriam, and her step-cousins Dawn, Stella and Dennis) lived next door in Links Tower Lodge.

We know quite a lot about this branch of Lorna’s extended family. This is thanks to the self-published memoirs of two women: (1) Lorna’s cousin Margaret (the eldest daughter of Uncle Percy W), and (2) Dennis’ teenage sweetheart. Of particular interest to Lorna’s story is her youngest step-cousin Dennis, of whom she was particularly fond.

As a boy Dennis loved nature and wildlife; kept white mice, a ferret, and a grass snake; collected birds’ eggs; and enjoyed playing a new game called Monopoly. After he finished his schooling at Monkton Coome College in Bath, Dennis was hoping to go abroad: either to work on a cattle ranch run by an old Monktonian in Brazil (according to his sister’s memoirs), or to emigrate and set up a farm in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) (according to the memoirs of his sweetheart).

The war brought a sudden end to Dennis’ agricultural ambitions. In January 1941 he started his training as an RAF pilot at Ampthill in Bedfordshire. This photograph of him was taken around this time. Just four months later he was dead. 

At 2:15am on May 29th 1941 Dennis' Wellington bomber crash-landed on return from a training mission as it approached the runway at Cranfield aerodrome, 2 miles southwest of the airfield. Dennis was the sole fatality in a crew of six. Of the five others, one suffered a compound leg fracture, and the rest minor cuts and abrasions.

Dennis’ grave lies in Malvern Wells cemetery. Dennis' teenage sweetheart, who is still alive and well in Surrey, ensures that a flower is laid there on the anniversary of Dennis’ death (today) and that a holly wreath is placed there at Christmas. Dennis' name in also listed on the two war memorials at Holy Trinity Church, Malvern: the plaque inside the church and the stone memorial outside.

We will blip Lorna’s own tribute to Dennis tomorrow.