.


Canadian flag


Roade remembers...

 

Dedication of Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial

Memorial Green, Roade

Sunday 9th November 2014

 

At 1.35 pm on the 29th June 1944, a Blackpool-built Vickers Wellington B.III bomber, serial number HF641, of 22 Operational Training Unit took off from RAF Wellesbourne Mountford, Warwickshire on a navigation exercise.   On board were its crew of six men from the Royal Canadian Air Force:  F/O R J Andrews, Sgt W H Clark, Sgt A H MacKimmie, Sgt J B Sollie, P/O C E Stephen and F/O P W Tokar.  During the flight the aircraft encountered turbulence and eventually entered a thunderstorm. At 5.20 pm the aircraft was struck by lightning and disintegrated over Roade. 

 

Very few villagers remember this tragic event 70 years ago but these young men (one just 18 years old) gave their lives for the same cause as our own Roade boys and this memorial will ensure that their ultimate sacrifice will not be forgotten.

 

Roade Local History Society is arranging for the memorial to be installed with the help of generous donations from Roade Parish Council and Sywell Aviation Museum.  It will be unveiled by a Representative of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Warrant Officer Dipen Mistry and dedicated by the Rt Revd John Holbrook, Bishop of Brixworth, following the usual

Remembrance Service.  The Remembrance Service begins at 10 am at St Mary’s Church, which is always full.  At about 10.40 various organisations march to Memorial Green led by the Grafton  District Scout Band.  Many people wait outside the Church to go with the marchers and attend the rest of the Service at the war memorial and all are welcome to do this.  Traffic near Memorial Green is halted while the Service takes place.

 

After the dedication all are welcome to attend an Exhibition about the new memorial at the Methodist Church Hall.  The Exhibition will be open until 4 pm and refreshments will be available.  Come and learn about the airmen and read residents' memories of the tragedy.

 
Click here for more information about the exhibition.   Telephone enquiries: 01604 863389 or 01604 864498





Sywell Museum

Sywell Aviation Museum is proud to have supported Roade Local History Society in commemorating the crash of Wellington HF641.  The Museum was established in 2001 to commemorate the history of aviation in Northamptonshire and has undertaken Aviation Archaeology for many years, resulting in the erection of many memorials across the UK to crews who lost their lives.

www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/museum