Dear Mr Hillman and Mrs Campbell-Roberts
Thank you both so much for your lovely letters. After
trying for so long to make contact with any relatives of William I must
admit that your timely and full response has come as a very pleasant surprise.
The memorial dedication and flypast are set for the
28th August 1999, which is a Saturday, at 11am. Is there a possibility
that either of you, your mother Mr Hillman, your brother Elizabeth, or
any member of your family could attend. I realise that it is quite short
notice, has logistical problems etc, but the people of our village send
you a very warm invitation and would help out at this end as much as possible.
We all would dearly like to meet you.
So far we have relatives from, I think, about four
of the men killed, including the sister of the 16 year old Edward Wright.
The Mayor of Stafford is attending, together with the Commanding Officer
from 16MU RAF Stafford, (they sent the fire crews out to the crashed plane
and this is where I obtained photos from), the Air Attaché from
your Canadian High Commission, members of the British Legion, an RAF guard
of honour plus local people with memories of the crash and local and national
newspapers with TV coverage...The service at the site will be given by
Canon John Greaves our super vicar of Sandon and Burston. We have arranged
a lunch afterwards. Whatever happens we will take some photos and hopefully
a video which we will gladly send.
A few notes as to what led up to this event:
When we moved into Sandon House (wife Kathy, daughters
Sarah and Kate and son James) some 21years ago, I found whilst clearing
out the stables a tube with a bright orange box kite inside which thank
goodness I kept through curiosity. Some years later the previous occupant
of the house called by who explained that it was from the Lancaster that
had crashed in the village. He was Doctor Bocking one of the first on the
scene and did his best to help the men, but sadly to no avail.
I spoke to people in the village and most were surprised
that very little was known of these chaps who had laid down their lives
for us so close to the end of the war.
I approached RAF Stafford who were very helpful and
supplied me with copies of photographs of the crashed plane. These had
never been seen by any non Air Force people before. I quietly went to the
field, and from still existing features located the exact place of the
crash. Of course nothing can be seen now but for the grassy field, but
it was a moving experience.
After many stop/start efforts at getting information
together, I handed my file over to our local branch of the British Legion
whose members (mostly retired now!) had the time and contacts to take the
search forward.
In our local church there are many memorials to local
people lost in wars and conflicts, but none to these chaps who actually
died in our midst. We have decided that the memorial stone and inscription
will be erected close to the crash site, on the roadside of the hedge,
so that it can be seen by all who pass. The site will be kept mown and
tidy by village volunteers.
Would it be possible please if it is not too much
trouble to send the information and copies of photographs that you have.
We would treasure anything you send and will collate it with all the other
information that we have to make a lasting book of history. I am sorry
that have not been contacted since giving some information to a `gentleman`
from England before, but we know nothing of this.
Yours Sincerely
Donald Mitchell
