ROUQUIERS CEMETERY
Istres
Bouches-du-Rhône
France
GPS Coordinates: 43°30'35.4"N 4°59'33.1"E
Image above © Johan Pauwels
Location Information
Rouquiers Cemetery is located in the town of Istres in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of France. The entrance to the cemetery is located on the Impasse de Rouquiers.
Historical Information
There are 2 non World War service burials here in the care of C.W.G.C. Enter main gates and follow the main path ahead for 50 metres. On the right-hand side is a panel marked "Carre 7". In the middle of this plot is a set of steps and to the right of these in the second row back are the 2 graves.
Rouquiers Cemetery is located in the town of Istres in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of France. The entrance to the cemetery is located on the Impasse de Rouquiers.
Historical Information
There are 2 non World War service burials here in the care of C.W.G.C. Enter main gates and follow the main path ahead for 50 metres. On the right-hand side is a panel marked "Carre 7". In the middle of this plot is a set of steps and to the right of these in the second row back are the 2 graves.
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Before the war William Makepiece Strathern worked as an electrician.
In 1942 he enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a Service Pilot.
In January 1942 he sailed for England and was posted at an advanced training unit, where he flew Airspeed Oxfords. After a spell with Bomber Command he was posted at No. 138 Squadron at RAF Tempsford. Like men as Percy Pickard, Hugh Verity and Bunny Rymills his work consisted of dropping secret agents into occupied Europe, work that was to carry him over France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Norway and Denmark.
On the night of 28 August, 1944, his sortie involved the "Blind" dropping of three agent in the Netherlands, near the town of Voorthuizen, on the "Appelse Heide." Two of these agents, Joop Kuylenaar and Jaap Hindrick were caught by the Germans and shot.
Strathern’s last operational sortie was on the last night of December 1944, when his Stirling was attacked by a Me-210 whilst on a sortie to Norway carrying 15 containers and 4 packages. The rear gunner suffered severe head injuries in the first burst from the enemy aircraft, which made four attacks in all. With his tail plane riddled, starboard elevator shot off and starboard inner engine shot out, Strathern nevertheless managed to pilot his plane safely back to England where he landed at Peterhead. It was this incident that brought him the well earned award of a bar to his D.F.C.
Bill Strathern flew 36 clandestine sorties, dropping S.O.E. supplies and agents into enemy occupied territory, with No. 138 (Special Duties) Squadron
In 1945 he was posted at No. 1667 Bomber Defence Training Unit before joining No. 511 Squadron Transport Command
He remained in the R.A.F. after the war with Transport Command and flew passengers in York aircraft between England and Singapore, and was engaged in the Berlin Airlift. He was killed in May 1950 in a flying accident whilst stationed at Manston, Kent, whilst out testing a Vampire jet when it blew up over Istres in France.
Other Non World War Grave belongs to Geoffrey Ivor Hibbert (R. A .F.) who lost his life on 2nd November 1948.
In 1942 he enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a Service Pilot.
In January 1942 he sailed for England and was posted at an advanced training unit, where he flew Airspeed Oxfords. After a spell with Bomber Command he was posted at No. 138 Squadron at RAF Tempsford. Like men as Percy Pickard, Hugh Verity and Bunny Rymills his work consisted of dropping secret agents into occupied Europe, work that was to carry him over France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Norway and Denmark.
On the night of 28 August, 1944, his sortie involved the "Blind" dropping of three agent in the Netherlands, near the town of Voorthuizen, on the "Appelse Heide." Two of these agents, Joop Kuylenaar and Jaap Hindrick were caught by the Germans and shot.
Strathern’s last operational sortie was on the last night of December 1944, when his Stirling was attacked by a Me-210 whilst on a sortie to Norway carrying 15 containers and 4 packages. The rear gunner suffered severe head injuries in the first burst from the enemy aircraft, which made four attacks in all. With his tail plane riddled, starboard elevator shot off and starboard inner engine shot out, Strathern nevertheless managed to pilot his plane safely back to England where he landed at Peterhead. It was this incident that brought him the well earned award of a bar to his D.F.C.
Bill Strathern flew 36 clandestine sorties, dropping S.O.E. supplies and agents into enemy occupied territory, with No. 138 (Special Duties) Squadron
In 1945 he was posted at No. 1667 Bomber Defence Training Unit before joining No. 511 Squadron Transport Command
He remained in the R.A.F. after the war with Transport Command and flew passengers in York aircraft between England and Singapore, and was engaged in the Berlin Airlift. He was killed in May 1950 in a flying accident whilst stationed at Manston, Kent, whilst out testing a Vampire jet when it blew up over Istres in France.
Other Non World War Grave belongs to Geoffrey Ivor Hibbert (R. A .F.) who lost his life on 2nd November 1948.
