Lancaster air crash crew remembered

On the 70th anniversary of the Lancaster bomber crash in which all on board perished a service was held to pay tribute to those who died.

The plane had been on a routine training flight when it began losing altitude and crashed on Lichfield Road on May 17, 1945 at approximately 5.15pm.

The tragic accident - which occurred just nine days after VE day - left a five foot crater, with wreckage spread over two miles.

The seven airmen on board the plane, none of whom were over 24, were based in East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, and are thought to be the only servicemen killed in Wolverhampton during the Second World War.

After the crash, the wreckage and remains of the crew were bulldozed into the crater and a local minister performed a simple funeral ceremony.

The Wednesfield Historical Society and Reverend Nick Watson of St Thomas's Church in Wednesfield organised yesterday's remembrance service and are also launching a campaign to secure funding for a permanent memorial to be built on the crash site as a tribute to the crew.

The names of the airmen that died were Ronnie O'Donnell, John Sills, Bernard Hall, Victor Meade, Gordon Rabbetts, Reginald Smith and Vincent Southworth.

The bomber came from Lincolnshire on a routine training flight before it crashed to the ground.

Despite it being 70 years since the fatal crash, the details of what happened that day are still unclear - and the direction the plane was flying from has long been a topic of debate for residents in Wednesfield.

An Express & Star report from the time features quotes from a driver who said the bomber flew over him as he was delivering newspapers on Stubby Lane. However, Tony Gough, who was a young boy at the time, said it flew over him by Wednesfield Park. He also believes the crew may have saved his life in the process.

He said: "I was on top of the air raid shelter in Amos Lane by the King George V playing fields, trying to retrieve a ball.

"As I was preparing to climb down I heard the sound of an engine from a plane and when I looked up I saw the Lancaster emerge from the clouds.

"It was probably only about 500 feet above ground level.

"It flew over my head and disappeared into the grey sky. Then I heard a loud bang followed by a cloud of thick black smoke.

"I jumped from the top of the shelter, something which I didn't have the courage to do before.

"A group of around 15 us ran towards where the smoke was rising up and as we made the journey, that group doubled.

"We were running through peoples gardens, hedges and all sorts.

"I eventually came to the crash site on Lichfield Road. I firmly believe that the crew of that plane sacrificed their own lives to save us kids on the King George playing field, because they could have crashed there.

"I think they extended their flight as much as they could after seeing young children playing on the field."

The Express & Star covered the crash with a picture showing firefighters spraying water into the smouldering crater and eye witness accounts of the crash. In an article headlined Seven killed in Lancaster bomber crash on road at Wednesfield', Joe Castree, an Express & Star driver said: "It passed right over me and there seemed to be two explosions in the air before the crash.

"I ran to the spot immediately but it was impossible for me to do anything as there was just a lot of wreckage scattered over a wide area and no signs of any members of the crew.

"Bullets were exploding and flares were going off."

As the plane went down four bricklayers on the road some distance away were blown to the ground and had to be treated for shock.

Wednesfield historian Ray Fellows who is researching the crash says it is his mission to find out exactly what happened as a way of paying tribute to those who died.

Mr Fellows, who has been researching the crash since 1988 and has heard many different versions of the story said: "It is such a shame that these lads died just after the war had finished and we need to remember them.

"As far as the debate goes, some people say it came over Wednesfield park and some say it came over Stubby Lane.

"It couldn't have done both, it didn't have the turning capacity to do it so quickly. It may be that we never get to the bottom of this.

"Just the fact that people are still talking about it and are still adamant that their side of the story is correct shows how important it is to people in the town.

"In Wednesfield we have tributes to those who lost their lives in battle during the Second World War and I think these lads deserve the same.

"The war may have been over but they were still doing their service."

Reverend Nick Watson led the service at Allards Field, on Lichfield Road, the site of the crash, at 5pm on Sunday - exactly 70 years after the crash.

A similar service was held 10 years ago, which was attended by relatives of the crew who had travelled from across the country.

Simon Hamilton, who is a member of Wednesfield Historical Society and the Hands On Wednesfield group, said the debate is a key topic for residents interested in their local history.

He has been heavily involved with organising the service and the planning for a permanent memorial.

He said: "The Lancaster crash is a key part of our history and because of the lack of a conclusion over what actually happened it becomes all the more interesting for us to debate.

"A permanent memorial would be a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives and also a reminder to people in Wednesfield that there are interesting historical stories to be looked into in their own back yard."