80th anniversary of bomber crash

Tuesday, 4 March 2025 10:15

The bells of St Mary's Church in Edith Weston will ring out this afternoon to mark the 80th anniversary of a Lancaster crash.

On Sunday 4 March 1945 the aircraft came down after a training exercise, hitting a tree in Church Lane and eight servicemen were killed, three of them Australian. The pilot narrowly avoided the church and nearby cottages. Their names are on a memorial plaque next to the church gate and will be read out this afternoon, followed by a short epitaph. The event will take place from 10 to 4 and the High Sheriff will be there. Village bell ringers will sound the bells, and visitors from Castor will ring a quarter peal.

Update

Villagers in Edith Weston say 8 airmen who lost their lives 80 years ago in the village after their Lancaster crashed after a training flight died as heroes as they were heading straight for the church on a Sunday. The pilot managed to steer their aircraft to crash land a hundred yards east of St Mary's. An open air memorial service was held to remember them. Village historian Liz Tyler, says the tragedy could have taken the lives of a number of Edith Weston locals.

"They were heroes to us, because they were heading straight for the church, the church spire. And if they'd have come across there, they'd have taken the rectory and a lot of people. Four o'clock Sunday afternoon, would have killed an awful lot more. So, yep, they did really well to crash land it. Hit the top of the trees on Gibbs Pit and then literally crashed it. It flipped apparently, and the rear turret came adrift, and they found that man stood on the road, really, they'd rolled him on the grass, really badly injured, and that's why the next one, Ratcliffe, died the next day."