F/O Richard Ketton-Cremer, RAF (VR), 30 Squadron, RAF

In Memory of

Flying Officer

RICHARD THOMAS WYNDHAM

KETTON-CREMER

R.A.F.V.R.

 

Born 11th August 1909

Killed on Active Service

During the Battle of Crete

In May 1941.

 

75788 F/O Richard Thomas Wyndham Ketton-Cremer, RAF (VR), 30 Squadron, RAF.

Born on 11th. August 1909 the son of Wyndham Cremer Ketton-Cremer (1870-1933) and Emily Ketton-Cremer, nee Bayly (1882-1952) of Sheringham House, Sheringham, Norfolk. Baptised on 15th. September at All Saints, Beeston Regis, Norfolk.

A passenger list for the SS President Harrison which sailed on the 24th. October 1934 from Marseilles bound for New York, has 25 year old student Richard Thomas Ketton-Cremer aboard. He is also on the passenger list for the SS President Van Buren which sailed from Christobal CZ, (Panama Canal Zone) on the 18th. January 1935 bound for California. He is listed as a resident of Felbrigg, Norfolk. Also listed as a passenger on the SS Chiriqui which sailed from Manzanillo, Mexico on the 16th. February 1935. Against his name its is noted 'Mexico Cruise Ship Passenger, Re-embarked at Manzanillo for Los Angeles'. He would arrive in Los Angeles on 19th. February. Note, the form is headed up 'First-Cabin Passengers Only'. A passenger list for the SS President Lincoln had in First Class 25 year old student, Richard Ketton-Cremer onboard. the ship sailed on the 2nd. March 1935 from Los Angeles bound for Honolulu.

The passenger list for the SS Bremen, sailing from Southampton bound for New York on the 3rd. March 1937, contained a Richard Thos. L Ketton Cremer, aged 27 and an estate agent from Sheringham. A passenger list for the SS Austvangen, sailing from Curacao on 25th. May 1937 bound for New Orleans consisting solely of Richard T. W. Ketton-Cremer. He is stated to have no occupation, to have been born Sheringham, and his last address was Felbrigg, Norfolk.

 

In August 1939, 30 Squadron was at RAF Ismailia in Egypt and carried out escort missions in the Western Desert and provided fighter defence of Alexandria. In November 1940, it was sent to Greece to operate its Bristol Blenheim's in both the bomber and fighter roles, with the first of its Blenheim's arriving at Eleusis airfield near Athens on 3rd. November, with forward deployments of the bombers to an airfield at Paramythia, while the squadron's fighter Blenheim's remained back at Eleusis to protect Athens. In March 1941 the squadron was redesignated a fighter unit. On 5th. April, five Blenheim's were detached to Crete, and tasked with maritime reconnaissance, convoy escort and night fighting. More of the squadron's Blenheim's were sent to Maleme on Crete on 17th. April. By the middle of May, German air attacks on Crete had made the squadron's operations from the island untenable, and on 15th. May the squadrons remaining three airworthy Blenheim's were evacuated to Egypt. Despite this, 229 officers and men from 30 and 33 Squadrons remained at Maleme when the Germans launched an attack on the airfield by airborne troops on 20th. May. Many of these airmen, despite being poorly armed took part in the defence of Maleme before the survivors attempted to evacuate via Sfakia. Losses were heavy.

 

An account of the first day of the battle for Crete from a report by Pilot Officer R. K. Crowther, who was in charge of the rear party of 30 Squadron:

"At 0430 hours on 20th. May, the defence officers inspected all positions and satisfied themselves that everyone was on the alert. A second inspection was carried out at 0600 hours. At 0700 the alarm was sounded and within a few minutes very severe and prolonged bombing of the defence positions started.

The Bofors crews as a result of sustained bombing and machine-gunning attacks during the past seven days were by this time almost completely unnerved, and on this particular morning soon gave up firing. One Bofors gun was seen to go into action but the shooting was rather inaccurate. While the Camp was being bombed, enemy fighters made prolonged machine-gun attacks on the Bofors positions and inflicted heavy casualties. At the same time there was intensive ground strafing of troops over a wide area in the locality.

These attacks lasted for two hours, with the results that the nerves of our men became ragged, and that intended reinforcements moving towards the aerodrome were unable to do so. A fuller effect of the bombing was that the men kept their heads down and failed to notice the first parachutists dropping. This particularly applied to those which landed South West of the aerodrome sheltered by hilly country. Gliders were already seen crashed in the river bed on the west side of the aerodrome and had apparently been dropped at the same time. There was no opposition to them except from the two R.A.F. Lewis guns which kept firing throughout the landing. The remnants of R.A.F. personnel and New Zealand infantry on the hillside were being subjected to persistent ground strafing from a very low height. The Germans were able to profit by the spare time allowed them to assemble trench mortars and field guns which later in the morning were instrumental in driving our men back.

Meanwhile, troop-carrying aircraft were landed along the beach at intervals of 100 yards. They appeared to land successfully in the most limited space, and the enemy did not seem to mind whether they could take off again or not. At least 8 aircraft were seen crashed in this way. None of these aircraft did take off again to my knowledge.

At the beginning of the attack, I reached the pre-arranged position, on a hill near the airfield, at the rear of the New Zealand troops and remained there during the morning. It was here that I gathered a handful of men and obtained a hold; the men on the deep dug-outs on that side had not been warned of the approach of parachute troops. After mopping up the parachute troops here, it was discovered that the enemy had obtained a foothold on the eastern side of the aerodrome, actually above the camp. We gathered 30 New Zealand troops who appeared to be without any leader, and with my handful of R.A.F. three counter attacks were made, and we succeeded in retaking the summit. Throughout this period we were subjected to severe ground strafing by Me.109's. The enemy's armament at this stage was very superior to ours, namely, trench mortars, hand grenades, tommy guns and small field guns. One particularly objectionable form of aggression was by petrol bombs. These burst in the undergrowth and encircled us with a ring of flames.

At this time we tried to obtain contact with the remainder of 30 Squadron personnel, cut off at the bottom of the valley by the side of the camp, in order to withdraw them to more secure positions on the slopes overlooking the aerodrome. The time was now about 1400 hours. The enemy drove our men who had been taken prisoners in front of them, using them as a protective screen. Any sign of faltering on their part was rewarded with a shot in the back. Our men were very reluctant to open fire and gradually gave ground. A small party of R.A.F. succeeded in outflanking them on one side, and I and a handful of New Zealand troops on the other were able to snipe the Germans in the rear and succeeded thereby in releasing at least 14 of the prisoners.

Towards the close of the day we discovered that our communications with our forces in rear had been cut, and after an unsuccessful advance made by our two 'I' tanks we decided to withdraw under cover of darkness in order to take up positions with the 23rd. Battalion of the New Zealand forces. During the next morning we were unsuccessful in locating them and had to withdrawn from our cover under heavy aerial attack for another three miles, where we at last made contact".

 

In the Air Ministry Casualty Communique number 75 which was printed in the edition of Flight Magazine dated 7th. August 1941, Flying Officer R. T. W. Ketton-Cremer was listed amongst the Missing. In Communique number 143 which appear in Flight Magazine on the 30th. July 1942, the category was amended to “Previously reported missing, now presumed Killed on Active Service”

 

In 'A Life in Secrets' by Sarah Helm (2005), a story about Vera Atkins, the number two ranking member of the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), French section, there is a reference to Dick Ketton-Cremer, who was apparently the love of her life. However, Vera did not marry him because she was not acceptable to his family, being a Romanian Jewess.

Sometime in early 1947, probably soon after returning from Germany, Vera wrote again to Dick Ketton-Cremer’s brother, Wyndham, asking if he had any more news. She received this reply,

"Dear Miss Atkins, I was so glad to hear from you again and to know your address though I am afraid I have no good news to tell you about Dick. There can now be no doubt that he was killed in Crete on or about 23 May 1941, during the German attack on Maleme airfield where he was stationed. We heard from a man in the squadron to which he was unfortunately attached in Crete, who found him badly wounded and practically unconscious during the fighting. He thought he had very little time to live and could do nothing to help him. We know no more, and have heard nothing at all about his grave".

Vera was left £500 in Richard's will.

 

Richard is thought of have died in ground fighting on 31st. May 1941, aged 31. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Column 241 of the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.

This memorial is in St. Margaret's church at Felbrigg, Norfolk. He is also remembered on the Roll of Honour in All Saints church at Beeston Regis, Norfolk.

 

 

 

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