Landgirl tends war graves (From Stroud News and Journal)

Landgirl tends war graves

IN a leafy corner of Minchinhampton church stands four second world war two graves lovingly tendered by former land girl and model Maybell Dullea.

Without fail Minchinhampton resident Mrs Dullea can be seen regularly cleaning, weeding and tiding around the graves of four young men cut down in their prime.

And this week on armistice day Maybell made her regular pilgrimage to pay tribute to the men who lost their lives in the pursuit of saving others.

Maybell, now a great grandmother was a land girl at Middle Lypiatt where she worked on a dairy farm.

After the war she later became a model for fashion house John Lewis.

Her selfless care of the graves emanates from her brothers safe return from the war. Maybell has been looking after the graves for the past eight years. "I had four brothers in the services," recalled Mrs Dullea.

"My brothers came back safely, so looking after the graves is the least I could do for these men." Her work at maintaining the graves has now been brought to the attention of Canadian George Barbeau a brother of one of the dead. Mr Barbeau, from Ontario, Canada had written to the SNJ in the hope that somebody was caring for the grave that he had never seen.

His brother, Sgt Norman William Barbeau, aged 20 was killed in a spitfire on December 7, 1941.

His aircraft struck a petrol tanker on take off from Aston Down. In flight the port of the plane became detached and crashed onto the road at Stratton, St Margaret near Swindon.

Mr Barbeau's letter inquiring if anyone was looking after his brother's gave was read by SNJ reader Gary Atkinson from Minchinhampton.

"I had already been looking into the graves on the internet when I spotted his letter in the paper," said Gary.

"I then saw Maybell looking after the graves." Added Gary.

Mr Atkinson has since informed Mr Barbeau that his dead brother's grave is being cared for.

"He was delighted and I have e-mailed him a picture of the grave as he has never seen it before."

The three other graves belong to Canadian pilots, Sgt Roger Pierson Owen, Sgt Thomas Desmond Vernon and Australian Sgt Peter Brain Tyres Quint who all died of a result of air crash accidents.

For coverage of Remembrance Day in Stroud see this week's SNJ.