Saltash WW2 Firemen's Graves Restoration Fund

Hello, My name is Neil Stanlake and I was born and brought up in the town of Saltash in Cornwall. My late Father was one of four boys and their parents were farmers in Saltash before and during WW2.

The youngest brother was my late Uncle John and at the outbreak of the war, he was told he had to stay home on the family farm, whilst his brothers went off to serve in the Armed Services. He was not happy and not to be outdone, he joined the local Saltash Auxillary Fire Brigade.

Being close to Plymouth, the Saltash Fire tender was often called into Plymouth to assist during the Blitz when the city of Plymouth took a pounding from German bombers.

On one such night, the 21st of April 1941, the Saltash vehicle went over an unexploded German bomb in King Street, Devonport, which exploded and all six members of the crew that night were killed instantly. They were John R H Stanlake, Francis J Brooking, Bernard Jasper, Stanley R Crabb, Alfred J Crapp and Leslie G Tibbs. They were all Saltash lads, who grew up together, served together , died together and were buried together side by side at St Stephens Churchyard in Saltash four days later.

It was the largest loss of life in any one incident for the UK Fire Service during WW2 and was a massive tragedy for the then small close knit town of Saltash. My late Mother attended the funeral and always told me that nearly the whole town turned out to pay their respects. My Uncle John left his wife a widow and his only son was a babe in arms at that time.

After over 80yrs, the graves are now in urgent need of restoration, to ensure the six brave men have graves for many years to come, that are befitting of their memory and for the ultimate sacrifice they made.

I decided that I wanted to lead a project to get the refurbishment work done and after much effort, I have finally been given permission to do so by all interested parties and from descendants of all six families This will involve some ground preparation work, new headstones, appropriate engraving on the headstones, to include the Auxillary fire services emblem, church fees and a the erection of a storyboard adjacent to the graves telling the story of this tragedy.

I have obtained estimates from locally based memorial stonemasons and the cost will be the best part of £10,000, but the families have already contributed just under £2,000.

I hope that you will agree that this is a worthwhile project and any donations, however small would be gratefully received. I never had the privilege of knowing my Uncle John, but am determined that his and his five fellow firefighters are never forgotten.