Letchworth Rewind

Shortly after nine o'clock on Saturday in the sleepy village of St Ippolyts early risers might have noticed a quaint group of gentlemen of certain age all wearing stripy black and amber blazers assembling by the church lychgate.

This was the Letchworth Rugby Club Gravefinders team led by former second team stalwart Adam Winwood, dedicated to visiting the last known resting place of all the fallen listed on the remembrance board at the club on Legends Lane.

Last year Adam and treasurer Chris Taff Marshall visited the Amalfi Coast where Gunner Barron lies, but this year's trip was much nearer to home.

Flight LT Brian McMaster

Next week will mark the 79th anniversary of the death of Brian McMaster.

The former Letchworth rugby man was tragically killed in a ground accident at DeHavilland aerodrome in Hatfield, in 1943, he was only 27 years old.

He was a flight lieutenant in the RAF, an officer who had recently been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his work in Reconnaissance.

Brian was originally from South Africa but came to Letchworth in 1934 and joined the Letchworth Tabulating Company as an apprentice. He married Maime Hawkins and lived in St Ippolyts.

Prior to the war, Letchworth had the luxury of two rugby teams in the town. There was many a torrid battle in the 1930s where the 'works side' often came out on top against the 'town' side.

An all round sportsman Brian McMaster played with distinction for both Letchworth sides, going on to become a war time international, representing England vs Wales in 1943.

He had also been selected to play against Scotland before the tragic accident that took his young and vibrant life.

In respect to his memory a wreath was laid by President Brian Burke this weekend, which was followed by the recitation of the prayer for the fallen.

A Letchworth cap was placed on his headstone nearly eighty years after he had won his first cap for England and on the solemn but uplifting morning, those old words rang true: 'At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we shall remember them.'

The party also visited the war memorial by St Ippolyts Church, where the name McMaster still heads the list of WW2 casualties.

Tragic though his fate there can be no doubt that Brian McMaster crammed a lifetime into his twenty seven short years.

May he rest in peace