But who was Edmund Brian Doherty and why is there a memorial to him there?
Edmund Brian Doherty, Brian to his family and friends, was born in on the 20th of February, 1918 in Mombasa, Kenya, East Africa. His father, James, was stationed there working as a customs officer for the British Civil Service. He was later awarded an MBE (1933). His mother Genesta was a school teacher. They later returned to the UK and their homebase was the Isle of Wight. James came from Belcruit, not far from Coffin Island where in later years he would have the monument to his son erected. |
Brian joined the RAF and was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner but on the 12th of April, 1940, at only 21 years of age, the Vickers Wellington Mc 1c on which he was part of a mission on was shot down by a pilot of a Lufftwaffe Messerschmitt, his body lost at sea.
There were five others on that fateful flight and all died that day. All the bodies were lost at sea except for one of the pilots, Sgt. Geoffrey Goad whose body was recovered for burial. To the left here is a photograph of Brian in his RAF uniform. |