Daughter pays emotional visit to crash site of father's aircraft 20th September 2008
On the 20th September 2008 a small plaque and cross was erected in memory of the crew of B25 Mitchell FL193. In a short but moving ceremony the cross was unveiled by the daughter of one of the crew, Trish Masters.
Trish in the company of her daughter Karina were there to remember father and grandfather, Sgt. Eric Bailey and his three comrades, killed at the site on the 21st September 1943, the event of the ceremony therefore taking place on the eve of the 65th anniversary of the crash. Pictures show Trish at the unveiling.
The national flags of Canada and Australia drift on the breeze in memory of the four fallen airmen.
F/O J Ledgerwood. (Pilot) RAAF P/O A G Olson. (Nav) RCAF Flt/Sgt. E G Bailey (A/G) RAAF Sgt. M J Tymms (A/G) RAAF
The Memorial cross and plaques designed and presented by Kelvin T. Youngs. See also the loss section that covers what is known of the accident in 1943. F/O. Ledgerwood
Acknowledgements:
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include:
Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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