Remembrance Day: Oxfordshire WWII bomber crash victims remembered

The image was sourced from a distribution made by the royal family.

Seven individuals lost their lives in a devastating crash that occurred in Ipsden. Their names were Wallace Jones, Terry Edwards, Kenneth Pollitt, Harold Spence, George Yates, Ervin Spencer, and Leslie Thomas.

During a routine test flight in October of 1943, a Stirling bomber known as Lulu crashed in a village located in Oxfordshire.

The sad event that took place in Ipsden, located in the Chilterns Hills, was documented in an RAF operations book with only two sentences typed. There is a risk of this event being forgotten as time passes.

However, after 80 years have passed, there are still seven families and a village who have not forgotten.

One individual became extremely invested in uncovering the truth about an event that took place, leading to his own personal quest for answers filled with intrigue, fascination, and finally, a sense of belonging among others.

During Remembrance Day in 2015, Mr. MacSwayne's spouse urged him to learn more about his uncle who influenced his middle name and the unfortunate accident.

Leslie MacSwayne lost his life in a terrible accident caused by Lulu's crash. Sadly, he was not the only one to lose their life as fellow members of the Royal Air Force, Terry Edwards, Wallace Jones, and George Yates, also perished. Additionally, members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Kenneth Pollitt, Harold Spence, and Ervin Spencer, also tragically lost their lives.

David, who lives in Portchester, Hampshire, discovered more and more about the accident that claimed his uncle's life as time passed and he researched archives. However, he made a significant discovery when he realized that he wasn't the only one who had suffered in this way.

More families had started to raise their own inquiries, even the offspring residing in Canada.

David MacSwayne has been researching and uncovering his uncle's personal history for many years.

The photo used in this section was provided by the MacSwayne family.

He mentioned that his uncle Leslie and the other gentlemen who passed away alongside him had been mostly omitted from people's memory.

David located living relatives and they commenced exchanging their pieces of the enigma.

David received a warm welcome from the residents of Ipsden, who were aware of Lulu's accident and discussed how it had affected their community during wartime. They greeted him with open hearts and minds.

The crash location was identified with the help of some people, a flypast from the RAF memorial recreated the final path of the aircraft, and fragments of the aircraft known as Lulu were discovered by metal detectors operated by local residents.

David said that the seven men have been buried silently for 80 years and their families have mostly forgotten them. However, Ipsden is an exception.

This distressing event has stayed with them. It was the time when the Second World War arrived in their village, causing the most extensive loss of life the village has ever experienced.

However, Ipsden later showed even more intimate links to the accident. Witnesses who are still alive.

"Hey, see that plane? It's not flying the right way," exclaimed Irene Lindsay, a young child of five years old. Irene was accompanied by her brother Roy as they were walking back home from school. This was the moment when they saw Lulu plummeting down from the sky.

. Irene Lindsay shared her experience of the devastating plane accident she witnessed during her childhood.

Irene, who currently resides in Reading and is 85 years old, recalls the accident with vivid clarity as if it occurred yesterday.

All of a sudden, it vanished, and a massive cloud of smoke emerged," she reported, including: "Our emotions were overwhelming. It was horrendous."

While going back over the same pathways, Irene recalled the terror she felt when she thought the plane had smashed into her home, where her mom was getting their evening meal ready.

Irene reminisced that upon arrival, the six small houses were untouched and unchanged, providing great relief.

There was still a crucial query unanswered: what caused Lulu to experience a crash?

The existence of various theories has created some confusion for families.

Certain individuals speculated about the possibility of mechanical malfunction following a lightning strike, while other accounts alluded to the potential of mistakes made by humans.

Tim Warren, who is related to the pilot Wallace and resides in France Lynch, situated between Stroud and Cirencester in Gloucestershire, stated that as per the authorized report, the pilot and his team were engaging in unauthorized low-altitude flying. However, Warren believes that as these young men witnessed the loss of their comrades, they just wanted to have some fun and enjoy themselves.

David believed that perhaps they were flying at a low altitude to rehearse the release of goods from the air.

It's possible that they'll never uncover the absolute truth, but in their pursuit, they've established a sort of community.

Last month, a commemorative plate to honor the aviators was revealed in Ipsden.

One of Ervin's family members expressed gratitude that their memories were being honored once more.

During the month of October, numerous families from different parts of the globe embarked on a journey to witness David revealing a commemorative plate in Ipsden.

Nan Spencer expressed that now they are all united as a family. Her husband Bert was just 18 months old when his father, Ervin, lost his life in the accident.

She made the journey from Ontario to attend the reunion.

She expressed that there must be a purpose for us to have waited for this long span of 80 years.

"The guys over there asked, 'Why did it take you so much time to gather us?"

"I'm grateful we were able to revive their memory once more."

James Bromfield, who is related to George, the owner of Lulu, resides in Swansea, which is located in Wales.

According to him, the picture on the wall had become alive over the past two years.

Joanne Bromfield, the daughter of James living in Swansea, expressed that it is important to have a remembrance of his life. She believes that James' achievements at a young age were significant then and are still important now.

Relatives have stated that the memory and impact of the seven individuals continue to endure over time.

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