I was recently contacted by Ria Polak-Kortes from the Netherlands via the Warburton website. She wanted to know if I was the son of Ray and Wynne Warburton, and had a sister called Tracy. I am not their son, but I was intrigued to find out who they were.
In 1942 Ria’s father had observed the crash of a Blenheim aircraft over the Netherlands, and had subsequently helped to tend the graves of the fallen airmen. One of the airmen was Charles Henry Gray, Wynne’s brother. Charles was the eldest of 9 children (2 boys and 7 girls) of Albert W Gray and Dorothy H Fielding of Prestwich, Manchester. Wynne was the youngest of the 9.
Wynne was in contact with Ria’s family over a number of years, and had visited the grave with her husband Ray. Wynne and Ray had subsequently settled in Oslo, Norway, where they had a daughter Tracy.
Ria sent me a number of photos which are presented below.
My research into Wynne and Ray found Ray was Ernest Raymond Warburton, born in 1929, and Wynne was Winnifred Hilda Gray, born in 1932. They married at Hemsworth in Yorkshire in 1955.
The main inscription seems to be written by Winnie’s mother, Dorothy nee Fielding (me). The order of the names is the reverse of actual photo as the only male, George, is the second from left. The description of George is uncertain. It may be lodger. The other three are described as daughters, Edith, Winnie and (Margery) Joan. The additional writing in a second hand includes Charles, probably indicating he took the photo.
Charles won his Distinguished Flying Medal in November 1940.
London Gazette November 29th 1940:One night in November, 1940, Squadron Leader McDougall (awarded the DFC) was the pilot and Sergeant Gray the air gunner of an aircraft detailed to carry out harassing attacks on enemy aerodromes. At 0300 hours Amiens-Glisy aerodrome was identified and found to be illuminated for night-flying. A large four-engined enemy aircraft was seen in the air and Squadron Leader McDbugall decided to attack it before bombing the aerodrome. He rapidly overhauled the enemy and from close range Sergeant Gray opened fire. His first burst entered one of the port engines which immediately emitted smoke. He then fired two long bursts into the fuselage. The aircraft was seen to fall, out of control, and eventually it hit the ground and exploded. Squadron Leader McDougall then returned to Amiens-Glisy and bombed the aerodrome in the face of intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire. He has completed 22 and Sergeant Gray 26 operational missions, and both have at all times pressed home their attacks with courage and determination.
These were the temporary graves of Wing Commander John Fraser Grant Jenkins, Pilot Officer Henry Paul Brancker, Observer, and Flying Sergeant Charles Henry Gray, Wireless Operator. Their Blenheim IV aircraft of 110 Squadront took off at 1915 on March 27th 1942 from West Raynham to perform Intruder operations over Soesterberg Airfield. It was shot down by Flak and crashed 2235 on the Dijmat Estate at Zeist (Utrecht) Holland.
Ernest Raymond was the son of John Ernest Daulby Warburton and Jesse Ratcliffe. I was able to trace the Warburton line to a William Warburton who was born in Oxford in 1803, and who married Eliza Daulby. William in turn was the son of George Warburton and Mary Davis, and the brother of John Warburton who married Barbara Jane Abell and emigrated to Philadelphia in 1841. His descendants include the 4 generations of Barclay Harding Warburtons of Philadelphia who I had documented as the Barclay Harding family.
By adding William’s descendants I have increased the Barclay Harding tree to the size (over 50 Warburtons) where it has become a clan. The updated clan is now published on the website.
The clan originates when Henry Warburton married Martha Sanders in Oxford in 1742. Henry seems to have come to Oxford from elsewhere, and since his burial record doesn’t include his age, it is difficult to identify possible baptisms and so determine where he came from. I don’t have a DNA result from the clan either to see if there is a match with Warburton clans elsewhere.
