I have been a tad busy lately...

[Denis]

Commenting and viewing images is important, and as many have said the soul of the forum. So, firstly sorry for not commenting on the very many images that have appeared over the last three weeks!

But I have been extremely busy at work. We have entered a very stressful period of activity that has seen our four trucks clocking up miles like there will be no tomorrow! This have involved me being away from home most nights & working anything up to 67 hours a week. With just my phone and limited data  it is hard to keep up with things let alone comment on them. This week for instance I have clocked up 3197 miles, not bad considering I have been no further than the military Port near Southampton, but I have been up and down the M3 like a yo yo. I have spent most nights either in Fleet Services or a layby on the old A33 

But something else has kept me busy over the last five weeks on the nights I have been at home and the weekends. Some of you might be aware that apart from being a truck driver, I'm an avid amateur historian who has a great interest in WWII aviation, and my local disused, abandoned wartime airfield of which over the last 50 years I have been collecting information, artifacts and documents recording the history of this airfield and its crews.

In 1944, June the 29th to be exact, a deHavilland Mosquito nightfighter belonging to a RCAF squadron operating out of a local RAF airfield near to my home crashed when returning from a combat sortie over the Normandy beach head. The two young Canadian crew died in the inferno after striking power lines while trying to land in bad weather.

Recently two relatives of the pilot visited the crash site after contacting my friend and I, we met them and took them to the site and the old airfield. A chance remark in the car of 'isn't it a shame there is nothing to mark the crashsite' Set me off on a quest to remedy this. So over the last few weeks and the odd week night I have been begging favours, consulting local parish councils, the landowner, memorial stonemasons and have given a talk on RAF nightfighters and their tactics to raise money towards placing a permanent memorial at the crash site of these two airmen.This also has been contributed to by the family of the pilot as well.

On Sunday morning this memorial will be unveiled by the nephew and niece of the pilot who have flown back from Canada to undertake this. It is hoped that a fair few villagers and interested people will attend the service of Dedication my friend and I have  put together, and on the 75th anniversary of the crash too !

 I shall post a few phone photos of the day later on Sunday if all goes well.

[Kobione]

What a fantastic and poignant project Denis!! Well done you for your effort in following up on that comment, and how lovely that the niece and nephew will be the ones to unveil the memorial. 

Really looking forward to seeing your pictures of the day and I hope a good number of people attend the service, which will give you and your friend some recognition too.

[Ryewolf]

Sounds like you have been really busy, hope it goes well for the memorial unveiling....

[Clicker]

Well that is just  the best reason ever for being too busy to post on here  Denis ...what a fabulous thing to do ... How rewarding to  have all that happen at the instigation of you and your friend.   I hope the Press are aware and that  you get lots of  photos to record this wonderful tribute . You should be really proud of yourselves and I for one salute the bravery  of those  lost 75 years ago today. The families  must  be so thrilled  with  this act of Remembrance , it really has  brought a lump to my throat .Such a kind and thoughtful gesture ... hats off to you Denis ...  

[FUJI]

Denis I congratulate you on your thoughtfulness and dedication to the memory of those who gave their lives or absence from loved ones during WWII.....All an all too vivid memory for me.

You are aware I think, that I too am a local historian with similar interests,,except my little bit of WWII is annalmost complete Heavy Anti-Aircraft Site....I give regular presentations there in memory of the ...Mixed Batteries.....the young ATS Girls and specially chosen older or slightly unfit men who manned the guns and technical equipment with great success.

I have been absent from TIPF a little, lately too....My Autobiography is in the Printers after 15 years of writing it in dibs and dabs.....and....last weekend saw me take over a 100 photographs of a local 16th century house ...I’m processing these currently.

Tho older I get the busier I seem to be.

FUJI

[Korky]

Good to see you're keeping busy, Denis - we don't want you lozzing around and eating ice cream and sipping G&T. Us retired types will take car of all that stuff!

Much looking forward to seeing your memorial photographs.

Korky

[Nikonmike]

Well done that man, look forward to seeing the images.

[sjr]

We had the fly past up here in Sunny Sheffield to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the fatal crash killing the 10 us airmen to avoid the playing children recently which was an emotional spectacle if your day goes off with fraction of a success that was you will have an amazing day.

Wishing you all the best for your day tomorrow hope all goes well. You have done an amazing thing you and you friend should be rightfully proud of yourselves.

[Clicker]

Inspirational stories, both of these are indeed...it renews one’s faith in  mankind . 

[Denis]

Ok, a few from the day...

There were about 40 people present, most of them from the village itself.

We are no strangers to building memorials, this is the fourth one, the other three are airfield memorials that we erected, RAF Hunsdon in 2005 followed by RAF Sawbridgeworth in 2006, a further addition with the roll of honour listing all 126 airmen lost from RAF Hunsdon, this was completed in 2010 .

 

 

[Kobione]

Wonderful set Denis, thank you for sharing, also very nice that they are now remembered by a monument. Well done!

[Clicker]

How very fitting to see that field of poppies in the background ...what a special day ....well done all of you . 

[Nikonmike]

I consider i was very lucky to be living in this period, i have made it to 70 with no major issues that needed me to take up arms.

[Korky]

I'm clocking 70 too and I often think just how lucky my generation has been - especially when I consider how my parents suffered many years of 'doing without' during and after WW2.

Well done, Denis, you should be justifiably proud.

Korky