Memorial to airmen killed in plane crash
Seventy-five years since their death, a memorial has finally been unveiled to seven airmen who lost their lives when a Lancaster bomber crashed into a farmer's field.
The monument was unveiled in a small ceremony off Lichfield Road, Wednesfield, where the plane crashed during the last days of the Second World War.
The stone has been erected in memory of Flying Officer Victor Meade, pilot Bernard Hall, flight engineer Ronald James O’Donnell, navigator Reginald Smith, wireless operator Gordon Rabbetts and air gunners Vincent Southworth and John Sills.
An information panel, explaining the story of the crash, has also been installed.
The event, which was held on Saturday to mark VJ Day, was organised by Ray Fellows of Wednesfield Historic Society. Bugler Georgia Mason, from St Gregory's marching band, played The Last Post, and Reveille, while Royal British Legion standard-bearer Alan Evans was also in attendance. They were joined by Trevor Matthews and Tony Gough, who witnessed the aftermath of the disaster, who turned out to pay their respects.
A US Army Jeep was also displayed during the ceremony.
Mr Fellows, who has been the driving force to get a memorial for the men, had originally planned to unveil it on May 17, the 75th anniversary of the plane crash.
A Spitfire fly-past had been planned for the event, with Flying Officer Meade's son Barry attending as a special guest, but it had to be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The precise cause of the crash has never been formally identified, although eye-witnesses reported seeing smoke billowing from the plane before it hit the ground.
The crash created a five-foot crater in the ground, and the men were buried at the scene, with a local church minister performing a simple funeral ceremony.
The men, who were all in their early 20s, were later given memorials at cemeteries in their home towns. They were serving with 630 Squadron operating out of East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, and the crash took place just nine days after Germany had surrendered and the war in Europe was officially over. The plane was on a routine training flight when it crashed to the ground and killed the crew on board.
Mr Fellows said he would liked to have allowed more people to attend, but social-distancing regulations prevented that.
“We would have liked to have invited some of the local folk who witnessed the crash, but it has not been possible,” he said, adding that they would be invited to a larger ceremony next year.
Mr Fellows who has been researching the crash since 1988, said he had heard many different accounts about the crash.
“It is such a shame that these lads died just after the war had finished and we need to remember them," he said.
Mr Fellows said Bloxwich-based Hilton Main Construction covered most of the £6,000 cost of the monument.
“We at Wednesfield History Society would like to thank all of the folk that have been involved with making donations and doing collections for the memorial,” he said.
Perry Hall School, the staff at Juicy Fruits in High Street, local pubs, stonemason Jonathon Edwards, and Jo Onions from Wolverhampton Council had all played an important role, he said.
