The Last Man on the Memorial

WW2 Pilot Officer Harold Graham Tipple was 19 when his aircraft crashed into a tree near the village of Hintlesham in Suffolk. He had been ferrying a plane (Fairey Battle Mk1) solo from RAF Little Rissington in the Cotswolds to RAF Martlesham Heath in Suffolk, despite never having flown such a plane before.

Harold was buried in Hintlesham's churchyard, but his name was never added to the local war memorial.

The details of the crash were classified and the records placed in the vaults of the National Archive. In 2019, a Freedom of Information request ensured the files were declassified. This resulted in Harold’s story coming to light for the first time since the accident in December 1939.

In 2020, Hintlesham Parish Council agreed to Harold’s name being added to the war memorial. It was due to be unveiled in time for the memorial’s centenary in June, but had to be postponed due to the pandemic. On the 31st July, the stonemason, quietly and without fuss, carried out the work. Harold will now always be remembered. You can read the full story at www.HintleshamWarMemorial.com .

"The Last Man on the Memorial" was written, researched and presented by Gerald Main. Please feel free to leave comments and subscribe to the channel.