Deverill Collection – RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVE

Fund-Raising For the Deverill Collection

Posted by RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVEon December 15, 2019in 97 Squadron Crews on Black Thursday, Archive News, Black Thursday, Deverill Collection

Ernest Deverill’s distinguished RAF career ended with a terrible crash at RAF Graveley in the early hours of 17 December 1943. All except one of the crew were killed.

Parts of his aircraft, which caught fire, can be seen here in their display box at the Heritage Centre, RAF Wyton, a poignant reminder of that dreadful night.

There are many demands on everyone’s money at this time of year, but with the anniversary of Deverill’s death fast approaching we are asking for contributions towards the financing of the Deverill Collection.

So please contribute what you can to help us settle the last debts for this tribute to an outstanding pilot and ‘Knight of the Air’.

DONATE TO THE ARCHIVE

We are giving away a free pair of Black Thursday booklets to anyone who contributes £30 or more. The Black Thursday booklets

DETAILS OF THE PURCHASE OF THE DEVERILL COLLECTION

Two years ago, the RAF Pathfinders Archive bought the Deverill Collection to ensure that it would not go into private hands and possibly end up being sold off in separate parts.

Acquisition of the Deverill Collection

Since the Archive acquired the Deverill Collection, it has been on loan to the Heritage Centre, RAF Wyton, where it can be seen by the public, by appointment.

Our previous appeal for funds to settle the outstanding loan to purchase the Deverill Collection has taken the amount still owed to £3,700, less that 10% of the purchase price. Clearing the balance will enable us to look to the future when we may be able to acquire other suitable Pathfinder items. These too will be loaned for display at the Pathfinder Collection at RAF Wyton, and will enhance the wonderful collection already there.

Above: the new Black Thursday display at RAF Wyton. See this page: The Deverill Collection at RAF Wyton

Deverill Collection: Fund-Raising

Posted by RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVEon October 31, 2019October 31, 2019in 97 Squadron Crews on Black Thursday, Archive News, Black Thursday, Deverill Collection

Two years ago, the RAF Pathfinders Archive bought the Deverill Collection to ensure that it would not go into private hands and possibly end up being sold off in separate parts. Since the Archive acquired the Deverill Collection, it has been on loan to the Heritage Centre at RAF Wyton, where it can be seen by the public, by appointment.

The Deverill Collection’s future as part of RAF history, and in particular the history of the Pathfinders and Black Thursday, 16/17 December 1943, is now assured. However, the Archive still has to raise £4,280 – 10% of the purchase price – to settle the remaining balance of the interest-free loans taken out to finance the purchase. Clearing the balance will enable us to look to the future when we may be able to acquire other suitable Pathfinder items. These too will be loaned for display at RAF Wyton, and will enhance the wonderful collection already there.

We are launching an appeal to all our supporters to help us clear the outstanding balance of the Deverill Collection purchase. Please contribute what you can to help us settle the last debts for this outstanding pilot and ‘Knight of the Air’.

DONATE TO THE ARCHIVE

We are giving away a free pair of Black Thursday booklets to anyone who contributes £30 or more.

The Black Thursday booklets

Above: the new Black Thursday display at RAF Wyton. See this page: The Deverill Collection at RAF Wyton

O Valiant Hearts

Posted by RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVEon June 26, 2019in 97 Squadron Crews on Black Thursday, Archive News, Deverill Collection

Ernest Deverill, the much-decorated 97 Squadron pilot killed on Black Thursday, whose medals, logbooks and other memorabilia are on display at RAF Wyton, is buried at St Mary’s, Docking, Norfolk. The epitaph on his gravestone comes from the same hymn as the one for Arthur North, of the 105 Squadron crew buried at Bergen, Norway, who were mentioned on yesterday’s post. For details of the epitaphs on these gravestones and of the hymn from which they were taken, see O Valiant Hearts.

Commemorative Publications, 75th Anniversary of Black Thursday

Posted by RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVEon November 13, 2018in Archive News, Black Thursday, Deverill Collection

The night of 16/17 December 1943, afterwards known as Black Thursday, saw the worst RAF bad weather losses of the whole war. A heavy fog caused severe problems for home-coming aircraft and there were multiple fatal crashes. Amongst the dead were 50 Pathfinder aircrew.

Our two commemorative booklets for the 75th Anniversary of 16/17 December 1943 are published today. Together they create a unforgettably vivid picture of the dramatic events of that night which led to so many deaths in the Pathfinders and Bomber Command.

All profits from the sales go towards the RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVE and in particular to the funding of the DEVERILL COLLECTION, which we bought with the benefit of supporter-loans last year.

For full details of pricing and how to buy these publications: 75th Anniversary Black Thursday Publications

Deverill and Le Creusot Op, 17 October 1942

Posted by RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVEon October 16, 2018in 97 Squadron Aircrew, Archive News, Deverill Collection

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Le Creusot op, one of the most daring of the war, when 94 Lancasters flew in formation across France to wreck the Schneider arms plant 170 miles south-east of Paris. One of those flying on the operation was Ernest Deverill.

Deverill Collection and Black Thursday Anniversary

Posted by RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVEon April 27, 2018April 27, 2018in Black Thursday, Deverill Collection, RAF Station Wyton

This year will be a busy one for the Archive. Following the acquisition of the Deverill Collection, we will be fund-raising this year in order to settle the interest-free loans from supporters which enabled us to buy the Collection at very short notice.

The Deverill Collection cost £42,000 (by way of comparison, Dambuster collections are selling for three times this, or more, in the current market). £28,050 has already been settled, having been funded by donations and Gift Aid. This leaves £13,950 to be fund-raised.

If you would like to make a contribution, please go to our DONATE page. Alternatively please CONTACT us if you would prefer an alternative method of payment such as cheque or postal order. All donations towards this most important collection will be very gratefully received.

We would also be very pleased to hear from anyone who would like to run a fund-raising project of their own for the Deverill Collection.

The Deverill Collection is now on display at RAF Wyton, and can be visited by appointment.

Early next month we will be adding the first details of our projected commemorations for the 75th anniversary of Black Thursday, 16/17 December 1943, which will centre around the Deverill Collection at RAF Wyton. We will be giving further details of our fund-raising for the Deverill Collection at the same time.