Haveringland – St. Peter’s Church (Jeffrey Neil Edwards)

This is the military grave commemorating the life of Jeffrey Neil Edwards and it’s located at St. Peter’s Church in Haveringland.

Jeffrey was born in West Ham (then in Essex) in 1922, the son of Arthur Edwards and Ethel May Edwards (nee Roberts), of Wanstead in Essex. He became a Flying Officer service number 172240, flying with the 157th squadron of the Royal Air Force. His home address was listed as 8 Cambridge Park in Wanstead, which was the residence of his parents.

Jeffrey was named in Despatches on 5 February 1944 for his bravery, something for which his parents must have been enormously proud of. Sadly, Jeffrey was killed on the night of 22nd/23rd December 1944 when returning from an enemy raid in his Mosquito TA392 RS-K aircraft. He reported to Flying Control that he was having problems with the ailerons and the aircraft crashed at the airfield also killing his pilot Flight Lieutenant W Taylor. There’s a report of the crash at the Aviation Safety web-site.

The military grave record, with Jeffrey dying at the age of just 22. The probate details were confirmed in 1946, with Jeffrey’s assets of £332 18s 6d being transferred to his father, Arthur.