Family to trek to remote memorial of WWII airman (From Your Local Guardian)

Family to pay tribute to Croydon airman at remote Scottish grave

7:30am Saturday 16th June 2012 in Croydon By Nick Hitchens

The family of an airman buried in one of the most remote areas of the UK are planning an emotional trip after a new memorial was created.

Sergeant Harold Arthur Tompsett, 20, from Croydon, was among six airmen killed when their aircraft, an Avro Anson, crashed in April 1941 on a training mission in the Scottish highlands.

So remote is the site, on Mount Ben More Assynt, the wreckage was not discovered for more than a month when a shepherd found the bodies and a small grave was established.

Sgt Tompsett’s younger brother Brian alongside his son Bernie and wife Cherry made many visits to the nearest village Inchnadamph where a memorial was laid to the crew, and in 2003 were flown to the remote crash site by the RAF.

Brian died months later and his ashes were scattered at the Inchnadamph churchyard.

Bernie Tompsett, 56, from Suffolk said :"There two brothers were so close. Harold’s death was never far from his mind."

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is set to create a permanent granite memorial at the crash site and Bernie Cherry, alongside his Sgt Tompsett Great nephew and two great great nieces, will converge on the site to pay their respects.

Mr Tompsett said: "We are so grateful. So many people lost relatives either over Europe or the North Sea and have no grave to visit. my family and I had already arranged our visit to Scotland when my son, step son, and I plan to climb Mount Ben More Assynt and share a regular tot of whiskey with the lads buried up there."

He revealed Sgt Tompsett was survived by his wife Betty, who was of German origin, but her family who fled Nazi Germany, were killed by a bomb which struck near Beckford Road, Croydon in 1940.