Memorial details

Memorial type
Board / Plaque / Tablet
District
Tendring
Town
Bradfield
County
Essex
Country
England
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
22593

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Current location

St Lawrence's Church
The Street
Bradfield
Tendring
Essex
CO11 2US
England

OS Grid Ref: TM 14444 30785
Denomination: Church of England

View location on Google Maps
Description
MARBLE TABLET WITH SEMICIRCULAR PEDIMENT. INSCRIPTION IN BLACK LETTERING WITH A GRAPE VINE BORDER AROUND IT. COLOURED SHIELD IN THE CENTRE OF THE PEDIMENT
Inscription
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF / SQUADRON COMMANDER / EDWIN HARRIS DUNNING D.S.C. R.N. / H.M.S. FURIOUS / BORN 17TH JULY 1892 SECOND SON OF / SIR EDWIN HARRIS DUNNING KNIGHT / OF JACQUES HALL IN THIS PARISH / WOUNDED 20TH JUNE 1916 WHILE BOMBING / ENEMY TERRITORY ON A FIGHT WITH GERMAN / SEAPLANES AND WAS AWARDED THE / DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS FOR / GALLANTRY ON THIS AND OTHER OCCASIONS / KILLED 7TH AUGUST 1917 / BURIED IN BRADFIELD CHURCHYARD / BESIDE HIS MOTHER / "THE ADMIRALTY WISH YOU TO KNOW WHAT / GREAT SERVICE HE PERFORMED FOR THE NAVY. / IT WAS IN FACT A DEMONSTRATION OF LANDING / AN AEROPLANE ON THE DECK OF A MAN-OF-WAR / WHILST THE LATTER WAS UNDER WAY. / THIS HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE; AND THE / DATA OBTAINED WAS OF THE UTMOST VALUE. / IT WILL MAKE AEROPLANES INDISPENSIBLE TO A / FLEET; & POSSIBLY REVOLUTIONISE NAVAL WARFARE. THE RISK TAKEN BY SQUADRON COMMANDER DUNNING / NEEDED MUCH COURAGE. HE HAD ALREADY MADE / TWO SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS; BUT EXPRESSED A WISH / TO LAND AGAIN, HIMSELF, BEFORE OTHER PILOTS DID SO; / AND IN THIS LAST RUN HE WAS KILLED. MY LORDS / DESIRE TO PLACE ON RECORD THE SENSE OF LOSS / TO THE NAVAL SERVICE OF THIS GALLANT OFFICER." / HIS CAPTAIN WROTE;"I SHALL NEVER CEASE TO ADMIRE / AMD REGRET HIM. HE WAS SO KEEN AND FULL OF / ENTHUSIASM AND SUCH AN EXCELLENT AND CAPABLE / FELLOW IN EVERY WAY. BOTH OFFICERS AND MEN / SERVING UNDER HIM DEEPLY FEEL THE LOSS OF / SO FINE AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN."
Inscription legible?
yes
Names on memorial
Dunning, Edwin Harris
See details
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 1
    Served and returned: 9
    Died: 1
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: rank, surname, date of birth, date of death, service, forenames, manner of death, relationships, additional, decorations
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Tablet
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Marble
Listing information
  • CHURCH OF ST LAWRENCE
  • Grade II
  • This memorial is protected, and listed on the National Heritage List for England maintained by Historic England. View list entry
  • More about listing and the protection of historic places can be found on the Historic England website
  • Historic England
Condition
Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

This information is made available under a Creative Commons BY-NC licence.

This means you may reuse it for non-commercial purposes only and must attribute it to us using the following statement:

© WMR-22593

For queries, please contact [email protected].