Earith memorial

This is the Forum of Squadrons, Crews and Aircraft of Bomber Command & Related Luftwaffe personnel and aircraft.
Post Reply
Oggie2620
Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:00 pm
Location: RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
Contact:

Earith memorial

Post by Oggie2620 »

As I was bombing (!!) along the road from St Ives to Soham, just after passing through Earith, I noticed what looked like a memorial wall. After reversing back I found that it was a memorial to a crew who had crashed a Stirling near to Earith. one of the names on the memorial was Ronald Wilkins Taylor DFM RAAF who is buried in Cambridge City Cemetary (I was there earlier in the day taking war grave photos but not of that crew!). I have taken some photos of the memorial and its area for my Aussie friend and will happily email them to anyone else interested. I know it crashed after a collision with a fighter but could someone fill me in with some more information. I dont have access to the photos right now but I know the Stirling reg began with a W.....
Many thanks
Dee
User avatar
K4KittyCrew
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Posts: 3635
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:55 am
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland - Australia

Re: Earith memorial

Post by K4KittyCrew »

Hi Dee,

Do you have any dates and any further details of the crash site area?
John
K for Kitty Crew - Winthorpe, 1661 HCU's - stirlingaircraftsoc.raf38group.org/
630 Squadron - East Kirkby
" There is nothing glorious about war with the exception of those who served us so valiantly"
Oggie2620
Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:00 pm
Location: RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
Contact:

Re: Earith memorial

Post by Oggie2620 »

Need to bring my laptop to work so I can download the photos as there is more information on the memorial....
Dee
User avatar
Bruno
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 567
Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:38 pm
Location: Normandy/Paris
Contact:

Re: Earith memorial

Post by Bruno »

Hi,

Ronald Wilkins Taylor DFM was the pilot of Stirling I W7467 of 7 Squadron which crashed (according to W.R. Chorley's Book), on 17 January 1942, at 15h40, nearly 2 miles North of Earith, 12 miles North West of Cambridge, following an unauthorised attack from a Hurricane I V6865 from 56 OTU.
;)
Best regards.

Bruno
Bruno LECAPLAIN, Webmaster.
www.raf38group.org
Oggie2620
Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Posts: 114
Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:00 pm
Location: RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
Contact:

Re: Earith memorial

Post by Oggie2620 »

Thanks Bruno. Its always nice to have a bit more background.... If the hurri pilot had lived he would have been in real trouble.... I wonder if the crew did any live ops while they were on the OTU otherwise it was a crying shame (though it was a crying shame anyway) ...
Dee
The Urban Fox
Leading Aircraftman
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:28 pm
Location: Werrington, Peterborough

Re: Earith memorial

Post by The Urban Fox »

I was brought up in Earith (Hunts) and lived there until I was 18. As one of the village kids, we explored everywhere. The washes were no exception and besides playing by the River Great Ouse and the Old and New Bedford Rivers (couldn't swim) we wandered about seeing what we could find. We discovered The Bulwarks and further down, as we had heard about the crash between the Short Stirling and a Hurricane (we wanted to think that if was Luftwaffe plane), we went further away from the village towards Rhee Lake. We found a site which we thought was the crash site and carried out, over many different days, a very careful examination of the field. We found bits of aluminium sticking out of the ground but were too tightly buried to pull out. There were some loose bits which I suppose we took away. No idea what happened to them. I know I was very concerned as a kid, that one of out own aircraft had crashed and that it was a Stirling, one of our "top" bombers. Over the years, I was so pleased to see the erection of the memorial near to the bridge on the Old Bedford River. I seem to photograph it every time I visit Earith. To me it is a part of my past of which I am very sensitive to and I value very much.
The Urban Fox
Leading Aircraftman
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2016 5:28 pm
Location: Werrington, Peterborough

Re: Earith memorial

Post by The Urban Fox »

With reference to my previous post - has anyone ever visited the actual "crash site" (not the memorial) or thought of doing so? I thought I would like to try, if I can remember exactly its location. (Long time since I was a kid).
Stirling Project
Group Captain
Group Captain
Posts: 817
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:05 pm
Location: St Neots, Cambridgeshire

Re: Earith memorial

Post by Stirling Project »

Hi there,

The site was dug several years ago with a lot of material recovered. Some is in the possession of the Stirling Aircraft Project, with some on display at the Pathfinder museum at Wyton

regards

John
User avatar
K4KittyCrew
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Air Chief Marshal (RAAF)
Posts: 3635
Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:55 am
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland - Australia

Re: Earith memorial

Post by K4KittyCrew »

Hi John,

Is this the site I discussed with you some time off site?
If my memory serves me, I received an email from a member and contacted you about it?
Cheers,
John
K for Kitty Crew - Winthorpe, 1661 HCU's - stirlingaircraftsoc.raf38group.org/
630 Squadron - East Kirkby
" There is nothing glorious about war with the exception of those who served us so valiantly"
Stirling Project
Group Captain
Group Captain
Posts: 817
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 7:05 pm
Location: St Neots, Cambridgeshire

Re: Earith memorial

Post by Stirling Project »

Tbh John I can't remember anything about the Earith crash being posted on here before.

it's relatively local to us here

John L
Post Reply