Wreaths were laid by Deputy Lieutenant of Essex Professor Mike Almond, MP for Brentwood & Ongar Alex Burghart, Mayor of Brentwood Cllr Mark Haigh, two staff sergeants from USAF Mildenhall together with the colour parties of the Royal British Legion and Air Cadets.
The RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre were also kind enough to attend with a very interesting exhibit of information relating to the crash and they also laid a wreath.
The service was organised by Sue Lister and the local branch of the Royal British Legion.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”2987″ img_size=”” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”img_link_large”][vc_custom_heading text=”Where to find the memorial” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:25|text_align:center|color:%23000000|line_height:35px” google_fonts=”font_family:Questrial%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
The memorial is in West Horndon Memorial Gardens in West Horndon Park.
Access to the park is next to 18 Cadogan Ave.
On 26th September 1943, two B17 bombers were returning fully laden with bombs and incendiaries from an aborted mission over France. In poor weather, one plane’s wing clipped and cut off the tail of the other plane resulting in both planes crashing and exploding.
Twenty airmen died. The sole survivor was the tail gunner of The Dorsal Queen.
Both crews were part of the 385th Air Expeditionary Group, also know as 385th Bomb Group, 551st Bomb Squadron of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF).
Both Lt. Keeley and Lt. Yannello had completed 11 operational missions, and they and their crews were considered among the most efficient and dependable in this Bomb Group.
Five of the airmen are buried at the American Cemetery in Cambridge and the others were repatriated. Five of the airmen repatriated share a common grave as they could not be separated.
B-17F-45-DL “Raunchy Wolf”
1st Lt. John T Keeley Jr – Captain (pilot)
1st Lt. Harry Coomes – Co-pilot
1st Lt. Arthur R Moore – Navigator
1st Lt. Theodore R Rouse – Bombardier
Tech Sgt. Ledger Pontius Jr – Aero Eng Gunner
Tech Sgt. Samuel B Rochester – Radio Operator Gunner
Sgt. Raymond H Shepherd – Arm Gunner
Staff Sgt. Robert L Banner – Assistant Radio Operator Gunner
Staff Sgt. Douglas Binford – Assistant Aero Eng Gunner
Staff Sgt. Edward Osborn – Assistant Arm Gunner
B-17 42-30264 “The Dorsal Queen”
1st Lt. Paul M Yannello – Captain (pilot)
1st Lt. Sidney S White “Sid” – Squadron Operations Officer – Assistant Bombardier
2nd Lt. Frederick E Wilson Jr “Fred” – Co-pilot
2nd Lt. Guilford N Black – Navigator
2nd Lt. Charles A Wardle “Chas” – Bombardier
Tech Sgt. Stanley J Gula “Stan” – Radio Operator
Tech Sgt. Walter F McMillan “Walt” – Flight engineer/top turret gunner
Staff Sgt. Marion E McGinnis – Waist Gunner
Staff Sgt. Lawrence C Kern “Larry” – Ball Turret Gunner
Staff Sgt. Edgar L Seitz – Waist Gunner
Staff Sgt. John J Adams – Tail Gunner and the only survivor
The Kohima Epitaph
When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today.
The two aircraft were B-17 Flying Fortresses, in the same squadron, known as “Dorsal Queen” B17F 42-30264 and “Raunchy Wolf, El Lobo” B17F 42-3290.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 was used primarily in the Europe from 1942 to 1945 and dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during World War II.
According to the Essex Historic Aircraft Collection website, the two aircraft were returning from Rheims-Champaigne, where all objectives were too overcast for effective bombing. With no bombs dropped, both aircraft were fully laden with bombs and incendiaries. They were on their way home to Great Ashfield Aerodrome in Suffolk when, at six to eight thousand feet above Brentwood, pilots encountered severe windshield icing which hampered their vision.
‘The Dorsal Queen’ was seen to slide below and behind ‘Raunchy Wolf’ where it appeared to be affected by prop wash. As ‘The Dorsal Queen’ pulled up to regain position its vertical stabiliser hit the trailing edge of ‘Raunchy Wolf’s left wing, which broke off outboard of the number 4 engine.
The complete tail of ‘The Dorsal Queen’ also broke off before it reared up into a vertical climb and reportedly spun into the ground at Tillingham Hall Farm where it exploded shortly after impact. ‘Raunchy Wolf’ meanwhile crashed and exploded at Nutty’s Farm killing everyone on board.
The only survivor from either aircraft was Staff Sergeant John Adams who managed to bale out of the severed tail of ‘The Dorsal Queen’ and knocked on the door of Becketts Farm to ask for help. The official report on the collision cited the severe windscreen icing as the likely main contributing factor.
You can discover more about the history of aircraft lost over the Essex countryside during World War II on the Essex Historic Aircraft Collection website >
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”1315″ img_size=”” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://shapingus.centreforearlychildhood.org/”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”About the Essex Lieutenancy” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:30|text_align:left|color:%23c00000|line_height:30px” google_fonts=”font_family:Questrial%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Essex is Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, appointed in 2017. She is His Majesty the King’s personal representative in the county.The main duty of the Lord-Lieutenant is to uphold the dignity of the Crown in Essex, including encouraging voluntary service and benevolent organisations, helping to create a spirit of co-operation in the county, supporting business and industry and the social life of Essex. The appointment is non-political and unpaid.
Find out more about the role of a Lord-Lieutenant and the Lieutenancy >
Find out about a Day in the Life of HM Lord-Lieutenant of Essex >
If you would like to invite HM Lord-Lieutenant of Essex to attend an event, please contact the Lieutenancy office here >[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
