COLCHESTER - Lancaster DV177 Memorial

[davef]

First, outstanding job by all concerned, congratulations. Our town might not be much good at knowing when to stop building flats, or arranging traffic in the town centre but they did us proud yesterday.

For completeness, here's Jack Foreman's (my father's) account - he was at the ceremony, and was living at the third house from the left at the time in the attached picture, which is itself a photo of one of the photos on the boards ...


About four in the morning we heard a plane flying very low and the sirens went off. We went to the air raid shelter and as we left the house I remember "a load of flame" going overhead. I didn't hear or see the German fighter, although afterwards several people told me it followed the Lancaster in and only broke away as the bomber crashed. While in the shelter, I heard the bomber circling and go over another one or two times. We always assumed this was because the crew were waiting for the flare path to come on.

In the meantime, Mrs Dansey and her two sons Don and Charlie, both also present yesterday, went from their house two doors down to the shelter at the Foreman's as Sid Foreman - my grandfather - had built a brick shelter with a six inch concrete roof. As Don ran out, he thought it was raining, but this was aviation fuel either leaking or being dumped. "The gutters were full of it."



My father, Don and Charlie also visited the site at daybreak. The rear gunner was definitely still in his turret. They also found part of one wing in the wood behind where Betts would be built.

For pedantic accuracy, the house on the left of the photo was noted on the board as belonging to the Neales. This was in fact owned by the Smiths (Neal's house was built in 1948, to the right of the Smith's).

Lanc crash site.jpg

[pauline]

Amazing, well done Stan (or Chris?)

I found a short news clip about it here www.itv.com/news/anglia/topic/colchester in which you get a brief glimpse of the Lancaster flying over. Wish I'd been there. I think? we heard about this from David Seaborn's sister, Barbara, who taught us at Sunday School, in Gt Horkesley, that was the place to get all the latest updates on airfields and aircraft then!! Surprised to see Charlie Dansey mentioned, I know him as well, and Bob of course!!

I live just off the Ipswich Road so hope to get to see the memorial before too long. I agree we can get things right in Colchester if we try!

Pauline.

[STAN11]

First, outstanding job by all concerned, congratulations. Our town might not be much good at knowing when to stop building flats, or arranging traffic in the town centre but they did us proud yesterday.

For completeness, here's Jack Foreman's (my father's) account - he was at the ceremony, and was living at the third house from the left at the time in the attached picture, which is itself a photo of one of the photos on the boards ...


About four in the morning we heard a plane flying very low and the sirens went off. We went to the air raid shelter and as we left the house I remember "a load of flame" going overhead. I didn't hear or see the German fighter, although afterwards several people told me it followed the Lancaster in and only broke away as the bomber crashed. While in the shelter, I heard the bomber circling and go over another one or two times. We always assumed this was because the crew were waiting for the flare path to come on.

In the meantime, Mrs Dansey and her two sons Don and Charlie, both also present yesterday, went from their house two doors down to the shelter at the Foreman's as Sid Foreman - my grandfather - had built a brick shelter with a six inch concrete roof. As Don ran out, he thought it was raining, but this was aviation fuel either leaking or being dumped. "The gutters were full of it."



My father, Don and Charlie also visited the site at daybreak. The rear gunner was definitely still in his turret. They also found part of one wing in the wood behind where Betts would be built.

For pedantic accuracy, the house on the left of the photo was noted on the board as belonging to the Neales. This was in fact owned by the Smiths (Neal's house was built in 1948, to the right of the Smith's).

Lanc crash site.jpg

To be honest I'm sick and tired of pendantic people having now caried out this project. So many people remember things differently and they all insist they are right.