New memorial - Bodicote - Wellington Crash - 28th Dec 1942

[StuartBr]

From the Oxford Times website
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/he...me_plane_crash

Unfortunately not a great photo, nor a precise location of the memorial

[REF]

Details of the loss taken from RAF Bomber Command Losses. Vol.7 - W R. Chorley.

On 28 December 1942 a Wellington III s/n BK517 from 23 OTU, took off from Pershore at 1120 hrs on an Air Test but encountered very poor weather conditions and 25 minutes into the test the bomber hit a tree and crashed near Bodicote, 2 miles south south east of Banbury

The Crew ere;
F/O. J G. Bryne
F/S. J T. McDonald RCAF
F/S. W. McMillan
LAC. L H. Nicholson
AC2. J E G. Beaumont
AC2. G. Broardhurst

[airfields man]

Today I called at Bodicote about 8.40am, managed to asked the right people, knocked on the correct doors and was given their latest newsletter. This I have copied with the full permission, and pleasure of the Chief Editor, John Washburn.

[airfields man]

Photographs taken this morning.

[airfields man]

Unfortunately not a great photo, nor a precise location of the memorial

The location is very easy to find; at Bodicote just ask for the church, facing it from the Gable-end [Narrow end] the memorial is about 400 yards directely behind. A public footpath further down just after some council houses will lead you to the memorial. Or, before reaching the church, Wykham Lane is on the right [before all the pubs ] go along there for about quarter of a mile, just past the houses, on the left is a shiny-new farm gate with a pedestrian one along-side. Go through there in a straight-line for about 300 yards to a cattle grid, bear right keeping the hedge close on your right. roughly 200 yards on the right is this memorial. Many thanks again to StuartBr for the knowledge of this superb memorial.

[airfields man]

Just as I was leaving I had a fly-over by something, took some long-range photographs that are not too good, but at least it was there at much the same time as I was.

[REF]

Nice photos Paul, I stopped by there on Friday last week and took some photos. Its a nice memorial.

What was the date of dedication, it doesn't say in the link on the first post, at the scans Airfields Man has put up are not the best to read!

[airfields man]

It was dedicated at 2.30pm saturday 2nd June 2012.