In the middle of the Second World War on 28 December 1942 a schoolboy and his mother were sitting on a wall in Church Street when they witnessed a Wellington bomber aircraft flying westwards over Bodicote. It was not unusual to witness aircraft flying fast and low but on this occasion the Wellington BK517 only narrowly missed the rooftops and the church tower. The young boy watched as it clipped its wing on an elm tree and crashed into a field a quarter of a mile west of the village.

The schoolboy and his mother reported that as it flew overhead one engine was smoking but this could have been an exhaust trail caused by the aircraft travelling at full throttle. The boy ran to the field in the valley to the site of the wreckage. The aircraft was still on fire and he saw the bodies of the six crew, all young men between the ages of 19 and 26. Tragically none survived the crash.

The flight was a 25-minute test flight most probably coming from Atherston-on-Stour en route to Stratford, and the cause of the crash was never fully explained. It was revealed that there was no radio operator on board, it is possible had there been he may have been able to communicate to staff on the ground if the aircraft had got into difficulties meaning the loss of life could possibly have been avoided.

Clouds were low at the time and it has been speculated that the pilot could have been flying low below the clouds to get his bearings. Indications are that the pilot knew where he was was as the aircraft was on course to reach the airbase at Stratford. Twenty-two-year old Flying Officer John Gordon Byrne piloted the flight. Records tell us he was ‘screened,’ which indicates that he had previously participated in military operations. However the flight was listed as ‘Air Test (Medical)', which indicates that the pilot was flying fast and low to demonstrate that he was medically fit to fly. Remembering that the aircraft had just flown low over the shops and houses of Bodicote reminds us that the death toll that morning could potentially have been far higher.

A memorial boulder bearing the names of the six airmen who lost their lives was unveiled at the crash site in a ceremony attended by relatives of those who died, including John Gordon Byrne’s widow who had been married to John for only 13 weeks at the time of the crash.

Every year at 11am on Remembrance Sunday the village holds a ceremony at the site of the memorial to remember the six young men who tragically lost their lives that day. Everybody is very welcome to attend.

The map below indicates the site of the memorial which sits adjacent to the public footpath which can be accessed via Wykham Lane or Town Furlong. 

Air pollution is a problem everywhere. The uptake of electric vehicles is slow with the result that we still have a high proportion of petrol and diesel fuel cars on our roads. As a consequence our air space is constantly under attack by their unpleasant and harmful emissions. This is a particular problem for people with health conditions such as asthma and is generally unpleasant.  

We have received several complaints regarding drivers leaving their engines running and we would like to remind drivers to be considerate when waiting kerbside, particularly when you are collecting children from school or other activities such as Brownies, Guides and Scouts. We know it is tempting to keep the engine running to keep warm in winter or cool in summer but please think of pedestrians and residents and turn off your engines for the short time you are stationary. 

Thank you for your consideration.