A HISTORY enthusiast who has dedicated two decades to researching a plane crash said he remembers seeing the wing of the plane on the floor moments after it crashed.
Today (July 3) – two days before the 78th anniversary – a plaque remembering the crew of the Flying Fortress was unveiled during a special ceremony.
In 1944 the bomber plane clipped its wing on the roof of Burbidge’s Bakery, before careering off into nearby fields.
It was branded the worst of its kind across the district during the wartime years. All six crew members aboard the plane died, while two residents on the ground were treated for minor injuries.
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History enthusiast Peter Curtis has spent around two decades researching the crash - he was one of the first on the scene.
Peter said he remembers passing the bakery "while on his school bus with his brother when he was nine-year-old".
The 88-year-old said the crash has "always stayed with him" and he clearly remembers seeing the wing of the plane laying outside the bakery just moments after it crashed.
After he retired, he spent the best part of 28 years researching the accident which has “always stayed with him”. The research was centred around naming those men.
Since then he has been able to connect with the family of one of the victims, S/Sergeant Tilgham ‘Tim’ Williams, a gunner and engineer of Duval County, Florida.
Speaking at the emotional memorial unveiling, he said: “It was almost 78-years-ago that the Flying Fortress with the crew of six onboard found itself in difficulty.
“Rapidly losing height the pilot according to eye witness reports attempted to perform a manoeuvre which unfortunately sealed the fate of the aircraft and the six members. The rapid loss of height prevented it from landing on open land and it initially impacted with the bakery before leaving most of its wing and careering across the road into open fields and disintegrating.”
During the ceremony, Colonel Charles E. Metrolis USAF Air Attaché unveiled the plaque, while Rev. Sam Scott, the associate vicar representing St.Michaels’s Church gave a blessing.
Colonel Charles said: "It is absolutely incredible that you are holding this memorial so many years later after the incident to honor the sacrifice of Americans fighting for freedom. I think what impresses me most is that several years later the town came out and that is a testament to the special relationship between our two great nations."
Children from Portway School paid their respect and laid flowers as most of the debris from the crash, including the plane, landed on the field where the school now sits.
The event was funded and organised by Burbidge's Bakery.
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