Twilight fell swiftly, that horrible night,


With rain lashing down from a darkening sky;


Came loud roar of bomber, that gave us a fright,


With engines diminishing, then shrieking high.


Five years of long war had taught us the sound,


Of planes that were stunting and stooging around,


But this sounded different somehow to my ear,


And up welled within one a sickening fear.


For the crew of that plane who were homeward bound.

They fought against odds to clear the large town,


Seeking clear country before they touched down;


And succeeded, thank God! but fate was unkind,


Something went wrong, and down they came,blind;


But avoiding the town, so perilously near,


They gave up their lives for us living here.

Vernon Wood

Written by Vernon with his father as part of his homework – as a 13 year old he visited the crash site of the 51 Squadron Halifax LK844 MH-M that came down in the evening of 14th November 1944.