The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
An annual memorial to a World War Two air crash that killed six people took place last Saturday attended by relatives of those who died and a Donington man who witnessed it.
April 10 marked the 78th anniversary of the incident that killed the crew of Lancaster ND820 635 Squadron which crashed on a training flight from RAF Downham Market in Norfolk.
The service on April 9 was held at the final resting place for six of the crew at the memorial in Eaudike Road between Donington and Bicker.
Donington man John Moore who witnessed the crash on what was his tenth birthday spoke about that morning to the daughter of Flight Sergeant Joseph Bannan.
Her mother Kathleen was married to Sgt Bannan and she was born a few months after her father’s death.
Her mother Kathleen named her Josephine after her father.
The service was led by vicar Charlie Robertson and the Last Post & Reveille was played by Dick from the Swineshead Silver Band.
Donington resident Eddie Finch helped organise the service and said it was well attended.
“John was cycling on his new present with a friend on the cross bar when they saw the flames coming from the Lancaster before the deep impact,” Eddie said. “The boys rushed to the burning crater before the local police arrived and cordoned off the area but not before they had seen the body of the only crewman to bail out in a nearby tree.
“This tragedy has of course stayed with John all his life and has only twice missed attending the site of the crash on his birthday.
“Flt Sgt Bannan’s widow Kathleen was unable to attend the service at 104 years young but sent her best wishes to the locals who maintain the memorial. Those who attend the service to the crew and pay their respects throughout the year
“Special thanks to goes to Dave Webster for his work maintaining the memorial throughout the year.”
