7 June 2025
Commemorative ceremony for the crew of Halifax LK840,
with the descendants of Sgt. William S. Sharratt.
Quinquempoix (Oise)
In French 
We had the pleasure of welcoming the descendants of Sgt. William Stanley Sharratt, namely his son John and his grandsons Mark, Derek and Ross.
Coming from different parts of Scotland, they spent the day discovering the various places where their grandfather had been sheltered after parachuting from the Halifax LK840 bomber on the night of 22–23 June 1944. Although they knew that he had been captured and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp and then to Stalag Luft III, they had no idea how he had previously been rescued and sheltered by the Resistance in the Oise region. ‘Our grandfather never talked about the war. We never knew what really happened to him,’ explained Mark.
In the morning, the tour began at the chateau de La Borde, in Sains-Morainvillers, where we received a warm welcome. At the time, it belonged to Count Jacques de Baynast and his wife Colette, who was the younger sister of the illustrious future Maréchal Leclerc. For William Sharratt, it was the penultimate place where he stayed. Delighted to meet his descendants, Mrs. de Colnet (the granddaughter of the de Baynasts) and her husband gave us a tour of this historic site, where many Allied airmen and resistance fighters were housed.
This was followed by an official ceremony in tribute to the four crew members who are buried in the Quinquempoix cemetery. A few vintage military vehicles were present.
Amidst the many dignitaries and flag bearers, the entire congregation gathered at the cemetery entrance before marching to the graves to the sound of a military march. The formal ceremony could begin.
Mr Alain Baudin, Mayor of Quinquempoix, took the floor, deeply honoured and proud to welcome the Sharratt family, who were particularly moved to be in his village. The ASAA-Oise then recounted the history of this fateful mission, the circumstances of the crash and the fate of the seven crew members of the Halifax.
Mark Sharratt then spoke, visibly moved, about his grandfather's life, his speech being translated by our friend Franck.
"On 23 June 1944, my grandfather was one of the lucky ones. He survived and, despite a very frightening journey, initially helped by the French Resistance and then, after passing through the Buchenwald concentration camp, he was able to regain his freedom and return home. At the time, his girlfriend (who would become my grandmother) received no news for six months and assumed that my grandfather was killed in action. I can only imagine her relief when she finally received a letter from the Red Cross stating that he was safe but a prisoner at Stalag Luft III. Shortly after the war, they married and had two sons: John, my father, and Ian, who later emigrated to Australia. For some twenty years, they watched their children grow up and become young men. My grandfather had a very happy life and worked as a police officer in the villages of Lancashire. One day, while on holiday, my father met a very pretty Scottish girl. They fell in love. She became his wife... and therefore my mother. My grandfather loved to take my grandmother out into the countryside every Sunday. One Sunday in 1972, he leaned over to her and said, “I would love to have grandchildren”. Unfortunately, in 1973, during a friend's wedding, he suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 56. So he never got to meet his five grandsons. I am the eldest of them, born in 1974. It means so much to me, as it does to my brothers Derek and Ross, and Craig, who cannot be here today, to be invited and welcomed here and to share my grandfather's story and adventure. I also think of my father, who was only 26 when my grandfather passed away. And here we are, more than 50 years later, commemorating his life and the fate of his crew members. My grandmother passed away at the age of 102. When she died three years ago, that generation was gone, and that motivated my brothers and me to try to find out more about my grandfather's life. We first visited Stalag Luft III in Poland, where the museum director told us about my grandfather's experience at the Buchenwald concentration camp. It was then that we discovered how close he had come to death. He was one of 168 airmen who were to be executed that week. They were saved by a Luftwaffe colonel who, fortunately, did not like the SS and concentration camps. He arranged for the airmen to be transferred to Stalag Luft III.
During my visit to the Museum, I made a short video that I posted on YouTube for my family. Then, two French historians sent a message: You are the grandsons of William Sharratt. Would you like to learn about his adventures in France?'
We are therefore delighted and honoured to be here to discover the hidden part of our grandfather's story during the war.
I would like to thank Franck and Dominique for their research, the mayor and the organising committee of Quinquempoix for this ceremony and, on behalf of my grandfather, all the French people, who took such good care of him with kindness and compassion and supported him on his journey to freedom. Thank you very much."
Then Mr Denis Pype (regional councillor) and Ms Nicole Cordier (departmental councillor), Mr Olivier Paccaud, senator, and Ms Claire Marais-Beuil, member of parliament, took turns to speak. They spoke of the essential, and sometimes forgotten, role of Allied airmen, often from distant countries, who sacrificed their lives so that we could live in freedom, while reminding everyone to remember the past and remain vigilant in the face of new threats looming over Europe today.
Wreaths were laid on the graves of the four crew members. After the Last Post and a minute of silence, the national anthems of Canada, Great Britain and France were played.
wore the military medals awarded to his grandfather.
The ceremony concluded with a convivial gathering and exchanges at the village town hall. An exhibition, prepared by the municipality, was on display.
In the early afternoon, the visit continued in Wavignies, where we were welcomed by the mayor, Mr André Renaux. The château where William Sharratt was housed by the Vincenot family was destroyed before the Germans fled in 1944. Only a few remains of the surrounding wall and pillars decorated with motifs are left.
In 2010, Henri Vincenot Street was inaugurated.
Then we headed to Ansauvillers, where the mayor, Mr. Dominique Dufresnes, accompanied us. With the kind permission of the current owner, who was visibly very moved to learn that an airman had been housed in her home, we were able to visit the house where the Hennon family lived during the war. Surrounded by high brick walls, the large garden would certainly have allowed William Sharratt to “get some fresh air” away from prying eyes. At the presumed location where he was photographed in July 1944, a photo was reproduced with his descendants.
Ansauvillers
Welcomed by Mr Philippe Gheeraert, Mayor of Le Mesnil-Saint-Firmin, we went to the place where William Sharratt was captured. The school itself no longer exists today. The classroom has been converted into a dwelling. Thanks to a local resident who brought along old class photos, we were able to see the face of the teacher, Christiane Cauvel, among her schoolchildren.
The Sharratt family in front of the old school with Mr Philippe Gheeraert.
This wonderful day ended with a return to Quinquempoix, as requested by the Sharratt family, first to the cemetery and then to the site of the Halifax crash.
