Hamel Down RAF Memorial, North Bovey, Dartmoor National Park
At the northern end of Hamel Down, where the moor drops down to Natsworthy, is a memorial to a RAF bomber that crashed after a raid in March 1941 during the Second World War. The memorial is by the side of a path that cuts across the moors to/from English Heritage's ancient settlement Grimspound.
The memorial reads:
+
R.A.F
S.49.
R.D.W.
C.J.L.
R.B.
R.L.A.E.
21.3.41.
ON 22ND MARCH 1941
A ROYAL AIR FORCE BOMBER
49 SQDN SCAMPTON
CRASHED RETURNING FROM
OPERATIONS OVER FRANCE
THE 4 CREW WERE LOST
THIS MEMORIAL BEARS
THEIR INITIALS AND SQUADRON
NUMBER – COMMEMORATING
THEIR SELFLESS COURAGE
AND THAT OF FELLOW AIRMEN
WHO PERISHED ON DARTMOOR
1939 – 1945
THEIR SACRIFICE HELPED US
TO MAINTAIN FREEDOM.
THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION 1991.
To help you find the memorial, we've positioned it on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location. There's limited parking on the side of the road at Natsworthy and below Grimspound. You can also walk across from the larger parking areas by Hound Tor and at the foot of Shapely Common. If you're feeling energetic, you can walk the Two Moors Way via Widecombe in the Moor as well.
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