Tribute to airmen lost over France
?A poignant memorial to four heroic Second World War airmen who died in France has been erected with help from Rotarians in Dudley.
?A poignant memorial to four heroic Second World War airmen who died in France has been erected with help from Rotarians in Dudley.
The airmen were returning from a bombing raid when their Bristol Beaufort was hit by German anti-aircraft fire over the city of Brest on the west coast of France on December 7, 1940.
All four crew on board — its Canadian pilot and three British colleagues — were killed.
The Rotary Club of Dudley has been with twinned with the Rotary Club of Brest- Côte des Légendes, in Brittany, for the past 30 years.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the tragic flight, the French Rotarians asked the Black Country club help establish a permanent memorial to the fallen RAF crew.
Research by the Dudley club has unearthed relatives of one of the airmen. Now they are appealing for the public's help in tracing family for the other three.
Six Rotarians crossed the English Channel for the unveiling of the monument after contributing cash to it.
It has been erected close to where the four airmen were buried in the French village of Hopital Camfrout.
The crew were Flying Officer Hugh Mussenden, aged 23, from Canada, Wireless Operator Air Gunner, Sergeant John Pratt, from Grangetown, Wales, and Pilot Officer George Brooks, from Sussex and Air Gunner Sergeant Tom Eede, aged 35, from Plymouth.