Snaith Airfield Guardian Passes Away

Renee Ounsley, described as the driving force behind the establishment of the Pollington Airfield Memorial Gardens passed away recently. (Pollington Airfield was referred to as RAF Snaith during WW2 to avoid confusion with RAF Pocklington.)

Renee had been pivotal in the creation and maintenance of the memorial garden, in memory of the two Bomber Command Squadrons, 150 and 51, which were based at the airfield during the War.

Odd Bods who flew out of Snaith include Harvey Randell Nav B, Godfrey Flack DFC Pilot, Laurie Larmer Ch.L.H Pilot, Henry Shirley Nav, and Bert Tinning DFC Ch.L.H. Nav B. 

Renee initially raised funds within the local community and from local businesses, as well as submitting bids for a number of funding grants. However, when these efforts fell short she started to write books about the air base and veterans’ memories of the war, donating all proceeds towards the garden.

She was awarded The British Empire Medal in the 2014 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for her tireless campaigning and fund raising. The garden currently has almost 200 plaques commemorating the crews who never returned, with more than 900 airmen dying while flying from overseas missions. Renée had also devoted thousands of hours to researching the stories of ex-servicemen and their families, as the garden become a focal point for veterans, their families, and the local community.

Thank you to Renee for "Pressing On Remembering."

And thank you to member, Bryan Wilcockson for passing on the story.