Help sought to solve altar cross mystery (From Western Telegraph)

Help sought to solve altar cross mystery

READERS could help to solve the mystery of an altar cross and candlesticks found at the chapel at Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy. The cross was discovered in the vestry, dirty and forgotten.

When it was cleaned, an inscription revealed it had been given in memory of Squadron Leader Alan Cresswell Martin, who lost his life on active service on August 15th, 1941.

The then chaplain of the 14 Signal Regiment (EW), the Rev Alan Price, became intrigued and decided to find out more.

Information from the RAF and from local aviation historian, John Evans, indicated that Squadron Leader Martin was 27 and a pilot of 40 Squadron Bomber Command.

Flying a Wellington on August 26th, 1941, he took off on a raid on the city centre of Karlsruhe in Germany. Of the 37 Wellingtons and 12 Stirlings taking part, two Wellingtons and one Stirling were lost and storms and thick cloud prevented accurate bombing.

As a result of enemy action, Squadron Leader Martin's aircraft crashed near Handzame in Belgium.

All the crew members - Squadron Leader A. Cresswell-Martin, Pilot Officer O T. R. Fyles, Pilot Officer R. R. Reynolds, Sergeant G. Knight, Sergeant R. J. F. Perras, RCAF, and Flying Officer W. Wright - were buried at the Handzame Communal Cemetery.

The inscription on Squadron Leader Martin's grave says he is the son of Alan Robert and Juanita Martin and nephew of Gertrude Martin, of Barnstable, Devon.

But the Rev Price felt that with a name like Cresswell and the presence of the cross and matching candlesticks at Brawdy there is bound to be a Pembrokeshire link.

Former wartime pilot, Mr Jim Grey DFC, became interested when his daughter, who works at Brawdy, was told by the chaplain that the cross had been found.

"Records show who Squadron Leader Martin was, but the mystery is how the cross and candlesticks came to be at Brawdy, since 40 Squadron was never based there, as far as anyone knows.

"Perhaps they were brought there from Dale or Talbenny when the RAF moved to Brawdy, but the mystery is that 40 Squadron was a bomber squadron not Coastal Command, and does not seem to have a link with Brawdy."

However, the squadron leader could have had local family links. "It would be interesting to solve the mystery."