REASON FOR LOSS:

Took-off from RAF Little Horwood at 18:54 hrs for a night time training exercise, aircraft appeared to enter a steep turn immediately afterwards and came down at Nash End Farm near Thornborough at 18:55hrs, some 4 miles north west of the airfield and 3 miles east of Buckingham.

 Vickers Wellington Mk III's on an airfield at dusk.

Navigator Sgt. Alfred Arthur Sadler R.A.F. and his grave at Botley Oxford where he was laid to rest with two of his comrades Pilot W/O. Kenneth Guilfoyle Tucker R.N.Z.A.F. and Wop/Air/Gnr  F/Sgt. Alexander Migner R.A.A.F. (Photo of her Uncle Alfred Sadler kindly supplied by Lizzie Allen)

On the 70th Anniversary year of the crash a memorial plaque was unveiled by a group of villagers led by Katy Morris. On the day following the unveiling of the memorial, Katy and a few of the villagers took the wreaths up to the field where the crash had happened.  The memorial plaque was originally attached to the side of the village hall but is now fixed to the wall of the parish church.

Transcription of a short talk that was given on the day by Katy Morris when the memorial plaque was unveiled. Katy’s Story for the Memorial Service – 30th November 2013

It was about a year ago, sitting at a table at our chapel community lunch as a number of our guests were sharing their childhood memories of life here in Thornborough that I first heard about this air-crash.  Clarence Hodges (who is with us today) would like me share his story.  He was a 9 year old boy living in the white cottage opposite this church, facing the dole tree.  He clearly remembers the evening of December 30th 1943.  The family were playing a board game together in the sitting room (in the days before TV) when there was a knock at the door. There were two young men from the village who had called to tell his Dad that they had heard a plane in difficulties and that it had come down.  They were fairly certain it had crashed in one of the fields of Nash End Farm (owned by Clarence’s grandfather). As the conversation went on Clarence remembers he and his brothers coming into the hall to listen. Outside the sky was lit up with an orange glow. His Dad got his coat and went out to locate the crash site, but would not permit any of the boys to go with him. Cecil Capel (another resident of the village at the time), was a member of the Thornborough Home Guard – his actual uniform is being worn for us today – and he too would have gone to the crash site to see if anything could be done,  but sadly there was nothing they could do. The aircraft had come down, narrowly missing a large corn rick, and ploughed into the ground going uphill and clipping a barn. The airframe had disintegrated and scattered burning debris across the field setting fire to another corn rick.  It was this fire that lit up the night sky.

Clarence remembers going up to the field with his Dad the next day (It is to the left of the gates of what is today Maewynn farm on the A421). The sights were too traumatic to want to recall and not what he expected.  (Along with many other village boys he had visited the site of a previous crash landing near to the Packhorse Bridge, where the crew had all walked away from the damaged aircraft and this is what he expected to see) The emergency services were working their way through the debris and Clarence’s Dad led him away from the scene and into the next field.  As they walked on, his Dad was suddenly curious about what was in with the cattle herd in the next field.  They went up to investigate and found one of the propellers. 
           
I’d never heard about this incident before and asked Clarence if there was a memorial to the airmen in the village but there wasn’t.   As a keen family historian I decided to investigate the story.

The court of inquiry reported that on Thursday, 30th December, 1943, the Wellington Bomber III BK 491 of 26 Operational Training Unit took off from RAF Little Horwood at 18:54 hrs for a night time training exercise. It appeared to enter a steep turn immediately afterwards and came down at Nash End Farm, near Thornborough at 18:55hrs, some 4 miles north west of the airfield.  All crew members lost their lives.

Looking further into the background I started to find out about the crew.  The Flight Instructor was 26 year old Kenneth Guilfoyle Tucker, from Wellington City, New Zealand.  He was the only child of Daniel and Olive Tucker.  He is thought to have completed a tour with 199 Squadron prior to being posted to the Operational Training Unit as an instructor. 1943 was a particularly sad year for the Tucker family, with his mother dying suddenly that February.

Also on board was 31 year old Flight Sergeant Alexander Migner, from Enfield, New South Wales, Australia.  He was the son of Robert and Lukeria Migner and was the only member of the crew to be married.  His wife was called Olive and he had a baby son, Robert.

The third crew member was 23 year old Sergeant Alfred Arthur Sadler from Bromley in Kent.  He was the son of Augustus and Elizabeth Sadler. He was the second youngest of 13 children and sadly his younger remaining brother passed away only a matter of weeks ago.

These three crew members were all buried nearby in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Botley, Oxford. I visited the graves in the summer with another member of the chapel.  The cemetery is beautifully kept and is a very moving and peaceful place

Finally there was 22 year old Sergeant John Edward Lane from Hemel Hempstead.  He was the son of Leonard and Florence Lane and older brother to Joyce. His body was returned to his home town where he is buried in Heath Lane Cemetery in Hemel Hempstead.

As I looked into the background of this accident I was shocked at just how many fatal training crashes there were, all around the country. Maybe that is not so surprising when you consider the training was only 10 weeks in duration and one article I read described the 26 Operational Training Unit as “ largely equipped with war weary Wellington bombers”.

It seemed sad to me that this event, and their sacrifice, was not recorded in Thornborough.  So I wrote to the Parish Council, and they became interested in the story, and agreed that this year, being the 70th Anniversary would be a good time to put that right. We are grateful to them for funding the plaque. And so here we are today.
It was really important to me to try to trace family of our four airmen to let them know what we were doing and if possible to find photographs of the men. It has been a fascinating research journey so far, although not complete. We do have two nieces of Alfred Sadler with us today (who have also been able to provide a picture of Alfred, which is on display in the chapel). I have made contact with the children of Kenneth Tucker’s first cousin, in New Zealand, who were, not surprisingly, unable to attend today but are planning a trip to the UK next year and intend to visit Thornborough to see the memorial.  As of yet I haven’t managed to trace the family of Alexander Migner or of John Edward Lane, so for me the search goes on. But we are honoured to have representatives of the Sadler family, the New Zealand and Australian Air Forces and the British Legion with us today to unveil the memorial and pay our respects to four young men who were willing to serve their countries at the cost of their own lives.

Botley Cemetery 5th May 2006 (David King)

 
Burial details:

WO Kenneth Guilfoyle Tucker is buried at Botley Cemetery Botley, Vale of White Horse District, Oxfordshire, England. Plot I/2 grave 129A. He was the son of Daniel and Olive Tucker, of Wellington City, New Zealand.

Sgt Alexander Migner is buried at Botley Cemetery Botley, Vale of White Horse District, Oxfordshire, England. Plot I/2 grave 130. He was the son of Robert and Lukeria Migner; husband of Olive Migner of Enfield, New South Wales, Australia.

Sgt Alfred Arthur Sadler is buried at Botley Cemetery Botley, Vale of White Horse District, Oxfordshire, England. Plot I/2 grave 131. He was the son of Henry and Ann Sadler, of Bromley, Kent.

Sgt John Edward Lane Air Gunner, RAF is buried at Heath Lane Cemetery Hemel Hempstead, Dacorum Borough, Hertfordshire, England. Plot HB 61 Unconsecrated. He was the son of Leonard Thomas Lane and Florence Lane, of Hemel Hempstead; nephew of Miss M. Smith, of Hemel Hempstead.

Research: Page construction by David King on behalf of Elizabeth Allen who kindly supplied the portrait photo of her Uncle Alfred Arthur Sadler in memory of him and his crew, along with other photos of the 70th Anniversary year Memorial dedication during 2013.

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