The Memorial is on private property and is not accessible to the public
Erected to the Memory of Second Lieutenant DESMOND THORNHILL GILFILLAN of the South African Air Force and son of the Karoo who lost his life in the service of his country in a flying accident near this spot on the 8th July 1942
Of Interest
2nd Lt Gilfillan qualified as a pilot at 25 Air School in Standerton. He was ferrying a Miles Master advanced trainer aircraft from 9 Air Depot at Air Force Station Brooklyn (now Ysterplaat) Cape Town to 27 Air School Bloemspruit near Bloemfontein when his aircraft crashed.
Gilfillan was born on 13th July 1921 and grew up on the farm Woolwyn, Conway Station, Middelburg Cape. He is buried in the English Church Section of the Middelburg Cemetery. He was awarded the War Medal 1939-45 and the African Service Medal.
In 1942 Marais (Ray) de Villiers was a 17-year-old schoolboy at Central High School in Beaufort West. During their winter holidays on the farm Steynskraal, where Ray's mother lived, some 30 kms south of the town, he and his brother, Peter, saw a plume of smoke rising from near the N1 highway (then under construction).
Fearing that there had been an accident, Ray's mother scraped together bandages and a first aid kit and set off with the boys down the farm road towards the N1.
The tragedy which confronted them upon their arrival at the crash site remained with Ray all his life. In his own words: "There were quite a number of people there already, including the Nigrinis from Springfontein and National Road construction workers. The engine of the plane was still burning and there were a few minor explosions emanating from the wreckage. The pilot's body was thrown clear as the plane slithered along the veld from the point of impact to its final position... the young pilot was dead on impact ... his barathea jacket was lying a short distance from his body".
In 1944 Ray interrupted his legal studies to serve in the SA Naval Forces. After demobilisation, he returned to Rhodes University in 1946 where he completed his BA LLB in 1949. He practiced law for many years in Beaufort West before joining the firm Morkel & de Villiers in Somerset West in 1967, eventually retiring in 1993.
Many years ago, Ray had corresponded with Cynthia, Desmond's sister, regarding a lifelong intention to erect this Memorial. However, it was not until 2008 that Ray was able to renew contact with the family (nephews and nieces of Desmond who never knew him) to obtain their permission to erect the Memorial.
In an eloquent and beautifully handwritten letter he explained his motivation: "Your Uncle, and many other forgotten servicemen, died in the service of their country and I feel that they should be remembered in this sea of change... he saw it as his duty to fight for his country and was willing to put his life on the line in the course of that duty. This is part of our history and heritage, and I want to see it preserved for future generations"
In 2009, 67 years after the tragedy, Ray de Villiers fulfilled his desire to erect the stone Memorial in memory of Desmond Thornhill Gilfillan.