'Emotional day' as memorial reunited with family
A token memorial of a Guernsey-born officer killed while flying in the US during World War Two has been united with his family.
Sub-Lieutenant Sylvester Kenneth Rabey, also known as "Sly", was tragically killed in an accident in North Windham in Maine on 26 January 1944.
His memorial was found by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cemetery in Maine.
Volunteers created a rubbing of the memorial, which involves transferring the design of the gravestone on to paper, to give to Sub Lt Rabey's family before Liberation Day.
Sub Lt Rabey, who was born in Guernsey, was evacuated to Oldham aged 16 before the German Occupation of the island.
Later on, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a sub-lieutenant and was then sent to the United States to train.
His niece, Sue Aldwell, was gifted the piece at Guernsey Airport.
"I heard about Sylvester all my life, he was my father's hero," he said.
"To bring him home it has been an emotional day."
It was the first gravestone rubbing to be united with family members and it is all part of a project called Bringing the Boys Back Home to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
It was flown in by "Ready for Duty", a Douglas R4D-6S which served for the US Navy, during World War Two.
It is the last of its kind still flying.
Volunteers from the Commemorative Air Force said they were honouring 423 British servicemen who were killed while training in the US during the war and remain on American soil.
Once the graves were found, the volunteers made rubbings of each headstone to be reunited with the servicemen's families overseas.
Chris Volpe, the wing leader of the Dallas Fort Worth Wing for Commemorative Air Force, helped to bring the memento to the island.
Mr Volpe said he "couldn't put into words" what the project meant.
"This is the beginning of the story," he said.
More news stories for Guernsey
Listen to the latest news for Guernsey
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
What happened in the Channel Islands during WW2?
Event to mark 80th anniversary of evacuees' return
'I was evacuated in WW2 and met Agatha Christie'
Commemorative Air Force
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
World War Two veteran turns 100 on D-Day anniversary
An RAF veteran has said he would not change a thing about his life as he celebrated his 100th birthday on the anniversary of D-Day. Edward 'Ted' Carter from Caerphilly turned 19 on D-Day, 81 years ago on 6 June 1944. He was deployed in India at the time, a memory he described as "wonderful". Reflecting on becoming a centenarian, Mr Carter said he had had "a very, very happy life". "I think we should all live a peaceful, happy life, helping people as much as we can, give back as much as we can," he said. I partied outside Buckingham Palace on VE Day WW2 tank driver stopped on VE Day by flat battery 101-year-old WW2 codebreakers reunite for VE Day After leaving school at 16, Mr Carter joined the railway and said his father told him "you won't make much money". "I didn't want to work anywhere else," he said. He initially worked in the signal boxes, then "on the trains", When he was called up to serve in the war effort, he did not want to join the Army. "And I couldn't swim, so I thought the air force was best for me," he added. For four-and-a-half years, he served in the Royal Air Force as an engineer, working on Wellington and Lancaster bombers. "You had to learn in six months what in peace time would take you three years." Reflecting on the conflict, Mr Carter said: "I think, I hope, the world has got a better place. "All we want is a quiet, peaceful life." When he left the RAF, he joined what is now Great Western Railway. Returning to Wales in 1946, home became the cottage he shared with his late wife Margaret. They met as teenagers, and married aged 22 and 23. "I'm so glad I met Margaret when she was 15," he said. "We had 61 years of a lovely life together." With savings of £380, they spent £320 on their cottage in Bedwas and £11 on solicitors fees and went on to raise three children there – Paul, Sharon and Ann. In fact, the letter he recently received from the King, marking his big birthday, was actually his second correspondence from a monarch, having also had one for his 60th wedding anniversary from Elizabeth II. "[Our dad] taught us to be hard working, kind," said Sharon. Paul added: "He's been an exceptional human being. He's terrific." At 98, Mr Carter was still regularly seen tending to his beloved garden at the cottage, particularly its orchard with pear, apple and plum trees. "We grew everything," he recalled. He now lives at Castle View care home in Caerphilly, where staff and residents threw him a birthday party. "All my life I've had very good luck and health. What can you ask for more than that? "If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change it." Wales' oldest person celebrates her 112th birthday Lost medals replaced for veteran, 100
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
'D-Day veterans plaque is a wonderful honour'
A plaque unveiled at Gold Beach in Normandy to remember Surrey's D-Day veterans is a "wonderful honour", the family of one of the late soldiers say. The blue plaque reading "Surrey Square – the spiritual home of all Normandy Veterans", was installed in Arromanches on the French coast to remember those who took part in the Normandy landings on 6 June, 1944. Family members of Surrey's D-Day veterans joined in 81st anniversary commemorations on Friday morning as a bagpiper played to remember the fallen soldiers from the military operation. Ian Allen, whose father-in-law Fred Lee took part in the D-Day landings, said the plaque was a "wonderful honour" for those who fought on the Normandy beaches. He added: "I was fortunate enough to come over with the Surrey Normandy Veterans who used to come here every 6 June. "The plaque all happened very quickly. I do get emotional." Mr Allen, who travelled to Arromanches with his wife Katrina to remember her father and the other Surrey veterans, said he had helped to bring over the former World War Two soldiers to Normandy for previous celebrations. Arromanches' D-Day museum has recently been replaced with a new multi-million euro building, leading to the current memorials being moved. The new plaque was installed alongside the relocated memorials. Mr Allen said that some of the army uniforms of those who had previously travelled over to Normandy were now kept in the new museum, adding he "can't help but be emotional when you walk past that". The D-Day landings, one of the biggest ever military operations, was one of the turning points for Allied victory on the Western Front. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Handwritten notes reveal Churchill's penicillin concern ahead of D-Day 'Vital' young remember the past - Holocaust survivor Arromanches Museum
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Epoch Times
Discovery of Wartime Bombs Prompts Large-Scale Evacuation in Cologne, Germany
BERLIN—Thousands of people were evacuated from central Cologne in western Germany on Wednesday following the discovery of three wartime bombs, in what the city authority called the largest such operation since the end of World War Two. An evacuation zone with a radius of 1,000 metres (1,100 yards) was cleared from 8 a.m. (0600 GMT), impacting around 20,500 residents along with many workers and hotel guests in the city's old town and Deutz district.
