NINE young soldiers who were killed at North Weald Airfield during the Battle of Britain will be commemorated with a new memorial.
The 17 to 19-year-olds, who were members of the 7th Battalion the Essex Regiment, were bombed by a German plane as they took refuge in an air-raid shelter in an attack on August 24, 1940.
Researchers at the magazine After the Battle have organised a memorial plaque to be placed on the oak tree near the shelter and it will be dedicated on August 24 at 3.40pm, at exactly the time when the bomb hit.
The German bomb scored a direct hit on the shelter, which blew one soldier, Private Nathaniel Miles, into an overhanging oak tree, which now stands in a car park off Hampden Close in the housing estate that has been built on part of the old airfield.
Another, Private John Smith, who was just 17 at the time of the attack, was the most seriously injured, with a serious head wound and an almost severed ankle.
Pte Smith has since died, but his widow, Vera Smith, will be at the dedication.
“I don't see why there shouldn't be a memorial,” she said. “Nine young boys were killed there and nine injured.
“It stayed with him later in life. He was injured in the head and was only 62 when he died and he had a brain tumour, so I think it was something to do with that.
“He didn't mention it much, just the war in general. After he came out of hospital, he was sent to a tank regiment and after that, he was injured again in France.”
The editor of After the Battle, Winston Ramsey, said: “We felt strongly that the deaths of the nine young soldiers should not be forgotten.
“We proposed to the council that it should be this year, especially because it's 70 years since the Battle of Britain.”
North Weald was one of the most important airfields during the Second World War and the anniversary is being marked in the village throughout August.
About 400 people attended a sunset flyover by historical aeroplanes at the airfield last night, in an event to mark the anniversary and show people some of the differences between the 1940s and today.
The vice president of the airfield museum, historian Arthur Moreton, said: “The airfield was very important, right through the war.
“During the Battle of Britain, it was essential in defending London.
"At any one time, there could be up to 3,000 people on the airfield at any one time, so it had an effect on the surrounding area.”
There will be a remembrance service to mark the battle on September 12 and an exhibition in North Weald Library in the High Road will run until the end of the month.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel