MEMORIAL TO AIRMEN KILLED IN STANLEY

(Ilkeston Trader 20th February 2004 page 1)

MEMORIAL PARADE TO DEAD AIRMEN  

    A Stanley man who witnessed a fatal air crash in the village during the Second World War is looking forward to a special memorial parade this summer.

    Bernard Walters, warden at St Andrew's Church, was only eight years old and out walking with his family on the evening of Sunday, July 12th, 1942, when a Wellington bomber came down in a nearby field, killing all five crew members on board.

    After the 60th anniversary of the crash, in 2002, Mr Walters decided to organise a lasting memorial to the men that died, and enlisted the help of local Royal British Legion member and ex-serviceman Terry Hall.

    A memorial and dedication parade will move through the village to St Andrew's Church on July 11th, and plans have been boosted in the past week by the news that an RAF Lancaster bomber will perform a flypast.

    Mr Walters said "A lot of people in the village around at the time are in their 70s now, and I thought that if a few more years go by then we might all be gone. I thought we should have a permanent memorial. People have said how pleased they are and I think it's going to be a red letter day in the history of the village of Stanley, because these people deserve to be remembered."

    He added that he could remember the accident as though it were yesterday. "I was one of the first on the scene and my parents, grandparents and myself were out for a stroll. We'd walked to Dale and were coming back into Stanley when we became aware of an aircraft at very high altitude making a lot of funny noises. We were concerned about it because it was clearly in distress. It flew no more than 100 feet over the next field and we could see little bits falling off it. It turned around and flew on for a few hundred yards, flying over Derby Road, before hitting some power lines which was enough to finish it off."

    Mr Hall said "I served in the forces and I think it is right and proper that we do remember. The incident was one which had a huge impact on the area, and on those people who witnessed the tragedy. The youngsters might forget the parade and the service but they will never forget the Lancaster bomber flying overhead and that will help to carry the remembrance on. We want as many people as possible to come along and enjoy the day."

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   The five men killed in the crash on July 12th 1942 were Squadron Leader Cyril Colmore (29); Pilot Officer Kenneth Radford (27); Flight Sergeants Ronald Gillott (22) and Arthur Smith (23), and civilian Clifford Abbott (23).  They were on a secret experimental flight at high altitude to see whether it was possible to fly over the top of the German fighters. The Wellington bomber W5795 was at 35,000 feet when a propeller sheared off and tore through the pressurised cabin.

    The parade on July 11th this year will form along Coronation Road in Stanley at 11am and the road will be closed off as people make their way through the village to St Andrew's Church. There will be a half-hour service led by Reverends Simon White, Trevor Grewcote, and the Right Reverend Jonathan Bailey, the Bishop of Derby, while local dignitaries have also been invited to attend. A memorial stone (pictured below in 2006) will be dedicated next to the flagpole in the churchyard.

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