RAF Sgt Mc Garvey George A. of 455 Sqn

[alex260966]

Hello,

I can't say with 100 % certitude. I only have the name of George McGarvey and the address on the letter:

Roy McGarvey
13, Eveleyn Gardens
Cavehill Road
Belfast (Nothern Ireland)

Roy was perhaps the brother of George McGarvey.

I also wrote to the president of the Coleraine Rugby Football club for some information about Roy McGarvey but never received an answer!!

Greetings from Belgium

Alexander

[Jack Jones]

Sgt Mcgarvey, known as Bertie was my cousin. He had a sister Meta and brother Roy, sadly Meta died recently.

 I am in contact with Meta's daughter but after the death of my mother, I have lost touch with Roy and his family.

Alexander If you are still searching I will pass your enquiry on.

Alan.

[alex260966]

Hello Alan,
Yes, I'm still interested in having contact with the family of George. I've found recently a familymember of the pilot (Maurice Jenkins) of George his aircraft. The family is living in Plymouth, UK.
I've found also +/- 20 pictures of the scene of crash (wreck of the aircraft, German anti-aircraft battery who shot the plane). Received recently +/- 70 pages from the personal files of the crewmembers of the Hampden AE-243 (source: Royal Australian Air Force Archives)
The aircraft didn't crash fare away from where I live...
I'll send you a PM mail...have done this before on this site but will try to find out how to do it.
Regards,
Alexander

[Jack Jones]

Thanks for this information Alexander, I have replied to you by email.

Alan

[carbonbianchi]

Hi there - I am Paul McGarvey, younger son of Roy McGarvey ( who was George ( Bertie - shortened from his middle name Albert ) McGarvey's brother ) - thus Bertie would have been my Uncle had he survived.

This website and photos have only come to my attention during the last 24 hours so it's all a bit emotional for the family to realise that there is so much information out there on Bertie, even 58 years after he died - ( especially the photos of the crashed plane )

His brother Roy, who is currently 86 yrs old, also served in the RAF - now resides with his wife Audrey in Northern Ireland, and will be briefed on these emerging details by me in the coming days.

Thankyou to everyone involved at the time of Bertie's death and to those researching the incident since.

Paul

[alex260966]

Hello Paul,

I'm happy to have found you. Alan spoke about you in his last mail.
We never spoke about the other members but perhaps someonelse on this forum knows more about them! Here are there next of kin:
Next of kin of Keith Morris
His father:  Mr AC Morris
15 Broadcaks Road, Sale, Sheshire

Next of Kin of Maurice Jenkins
His mother: E A Jenkins
Ship Inn, 12 Parade
Barbican, Plymouth

Next of kin of Rawlings Donald
His Father:  RAF Sgt Rawlings (serialnr 221891)
RAF Stenton Harcourt
Oxon.
Greetings to you and your family.

Alexander

[Jack Jones]

Well Alex,  it took a little time but at least one thread of your search is getting results.

Welcome to the forum Paul.

                      Alan.

[carbonbianchi]

Alexander,

Spoke to my father the other night ( Roy McGarvey ) and he is quite willing to discuss his brother Bertie ( George ) - he showed me various photos of Bertie at school, college, rugby and RAF also school reports, etc - my cousin Kathryn Adair has even more documentary records and we will be collating this over the next few weeks.   Dad tells me that Bertie planned to join the Ministry
( Church ) but the war put an end to this - incidentally Alexander, Dad did receive the letter you posted to Coleraine Rugby Club, 18 months ago, but unfortunately thought it 'safer' not to respond, not knowing who you were!

I have asked Dad to write down all that he remembers about Bertie, and we will publish this in due course - he had never before seen photos of the crashed Hampden plane or the gravestone so these were of great interest - he recalls that it was a 'Piet Klassen' who recovered  Bertie's body from the plane ( does this name mean anything to you? )

I realise now it is a tragedy that no member of the McGarvey has yet visited Bertie's grave - Kathryn and I propose to rectify this by visiting in 2 years time ( on the 70th anniversary of his death ) - 30 months ago I was in Brussels not realising that I was only a short distance from Bertie's grave.

Paul 

[carbonbianchi]

Remembering George ( Bertie ) McGarvey, especially today on the 70th anniversary of his death - also his brother Roy McGarvey ( my father ) who sadly passed away peacefully on 24th January this year ( aged 88 ) in Coleraine, Northern Ireland - he also served with the RAF in WW2

Remembrance day this this year ( on 11.11.11 ) will be doubly tinged with sadness.

Hopefully I will manage to visit Bertie's grave ( Heverlee ) soon.

Paul McGarvey