A Lonely Grave, but Not Forgotten

The grave of Lieutenant James HENDRY in Guilvinec South Finistère masks a remarkable story of courage by this World War One RAF officer who died four months before the wars’ end.

James Claud Scott Hendry was born in Kilmarnock near Glasgow. He joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1914 as a recently qualified pilot. Fascinated by the new technology of airborne radio he was closely involved in its development and usually flew as an observer/radio operator.

The fragile biplanes of this time were particularly vulnerable to the rigours of landings on water. Lt. Hendry was involved in several bad crashes where his repeated acts of courage led to him being awarded the Albert Medal , the precursor to the George Cross (the non-combat version of the Victoria Cross)

The Citation for the medal approved by the King George V on April 15, 1915 reads:

“On March 11, 1914. James Hendry helped his pilot with both in water clinging to wreckage of seaplane.

In July 28, 1914, only with great difficulty could he be persuaded to share with the pilot one float of their seaplane left undamaged by enforced descent at Sptihead.

In the early morning of November 19, 1914, north of Yarmouth while they were coming in to alight opposite the air station, and not wishing to do so with bombs on board (as their detonating gear was so unreliable), the pilot, Flt. Lt. Ian Davis dropped his bombs into the sea so low down that the explosion of one bomb, on hitting the water, blew the tail off the machine. Hendry was thrown out and fell some 150 ft. into the sea, Davis fell in the plane. In spite of his fall and the coldness of the sea in winter time, Hendry at once swam to the pilot and released him, a very difficult and dangerous undertaking for the machine was rapidly sinking and the officer was imprisoned under water unconscious and drowning, at the risk of being entangled in the wreckage and dragged to the bottom. He then swam directly to a trawler and left the boat to pick up Davis who was kept afloat by the air in his clothing. He then directed the trawler to proceed and moor alongside Crossley Hospital.”

In April 1918 Hendry was promoted to Lieutenant in the recently formed Royal Air Force. Sadly, on 6 July 1918 while on an anti-submarine patrol over the English Channel in a Short 184 N2963, from Tresco Air Station in the Scilly Islands, the aircraft was lost.

Hendry left behind a young wife, Florence Greenacre. They had been married for less than 3 years. His grave his honoured with fresh flowers by the local Guilvinec village community every 11th November and 8th of May.

(with thanks to Find a Grave and the Victoria Cross online websites)