Eighty-one years ago, in the early hours of 24th July 1944, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley MK V Bomber BD230 was on a cross-country training flight and for some reason was unable to land at Ashbourne Airfield. As it was circling round to make a second attempt, a fire broke out in the starboard engine, the extinguishing system failed and it nose-dived into a farmer’s field at Leasow Farm, near Mugginton and Weston Underwood. All five of the air crew were killed. Only two bodies were retrieved and were buried in CWGC graves in cemeteries in Ashbourne and St Helen’s, Lancashire. The families of the men got together to have a memorial made, which was erected on the site in the field a year later. (see photo below) A service was then held as this was the grave of three of the men. It was attended by the families of the five men, local villagers and farmers. Ever since services have been held, particularly on anniversaries or Remembrance Sundays. Last year two services were held to mark the 80th Anniversary, when we were joined by relatives of two of the men. This year a short service will be held on Saturday 2nd August 2025 at 2pm as we also commemorate 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Days. We do hope you will join us and maybe remember members of your own family who were involved in WWII. We are honoured that James Stafford, Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire will take part in the service and present a wreath on behalf of The Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire and by reference the King.We are pleased that Reverend Alan Griggs, Lead Agricultural Chaplain of Derbyshire Rural Chaplaincy will take the service this year. Some of you already know he will be leaving this role later in the year, so this is an opportunity to hear him and maybe say goodbye, although he is not going far, just to St Barnabas in Derby. We will again have bugler Shaun Etherington to play the moving Last Post and Reveille. Thanks to David Metcalf for allowing us to hold the service on his farm. The map below shows the route to the memorial. “When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today”.
