Tutbury Remembers – Fauld Graves 

The Eleven Fauld Graves in
St. Mary’s Churchyard, Tutbury

In 1944, on the Monday 27th November, at 11:13, just two miles from the centre of Tutbury, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions that the world has ever seen occurred at Fauld, killing 70 people, 18 of whom were never found.  There were:

• 57 civilians
• 7 RAF
• 6 Italian Co-operators (former PoWs, Italy was at this time fighting with the allies)

Many of the civilians were from the Tutbury area.

Burial records at St. Mary’s Priory Church Tutbury show that eleven of those who died in the Fauld Explosion were buried in the Priory Churchyard, men from Tutbury.

However, the Tutbury Memorials Survey conducted in 2002 by former Tutbury Museum Curator Robert Minchin could only find seven of those eleven.  All but one of the burials are in a small area of the Churchyard near to the path; the other burial is nearby where he is buried with his wife.

The graves were very overgrown and untidy – uncared for, even though these men died because of their war duties – they were casualties of WWII and should be Remembered.

Fortunately, they are now cared for.

A group of volunteers known as the Holy Mowers, meet usually at St. Mary’s on a Wednesday morning to take care of the Churchyard, including the Fauld graves.

If you want any further information, please contact rick@nuth.me.uk.