Near the village of Bradley, I came across this memorial, which I didn't know about before. It marks the site where in 1943 a Wellington Bomber, apparently on a training flight, crashed, killing all seven of the Polish airmen aboard. From what I've read, one of the main wing struts failed and the plane lost a wing and engine before ploughing into the canal bank. There is a wooden cross on the towpath but a larger, more permanent memorial was erected in 2007 on the other side of the canal, beside the swing bridge. One of the men had married an English girl from Blackpool only three weeks before and another of them had a son, born only four weeks before the accident. Rather poignant... You can read more about it
HERE.
Near the village of Bradley, I came across this memorial, which I didn't know about before. It marks the site where in 1943 a Wellington Bomber, apparently on a training flight, crashed, killing all seven of the Polish airmen aboard. From what I've read, one of the main wing struts failed and the plane lost a wing and engine before ploughing into the canal bank. There is a wooden cross on the towpath but a larger, more permanent memorial was erected in 2007 on the other side of the canal, beside the swing bridge. One of the men had married an English girl from Blackpool only three weeks before and another of them had a son, born only four weeks before the accident. Rather poignant... You can read more about it HERE.
So sad.
ReplyDeleteConceived in 1936 by Vickers the Wellington "Wimpey" used Barnes Wallis geodectic frame principle whereby doped cotton formed the outer skin. It had two Pratt and Witney engines to fly at 235mph. Used by the RAF 1938 to 1953 as a bomber also by Coastal Command and my own father for Atlantic U-boat searches from Limavady and Stornaway by 221 Sqn. which later flew out to Gibralter and served in Egypt.
ReplyDeletePoignant and dignified.
ReplyDelete