Four American airmen who were
killed when their aeroplane crashed in a field in Blackmore on 24 September
1944 are to be commemorated on a Memorial to be placed in St Laurence
Church. It will be a visible and permanent
reminder of the brave contribution made by 30,000 American Army Air Force
personnel stationed in Essex between 1943-45.
Neil McCarthy wrote in the
September 2019 edition of ‘Church Matters’, the parish church magazine, “It was
on the evening of 24 September 1944 that a Martin Marauder B26, attempting to
reach its base at Matching Green while returning from France in appalling
weather, disintegrated on impact in a field adjacent to Fingrith Hall
Lane. Two other planes in the same
homeward-bound squadron also crashed elsewhere in Essex that night in almost
identical circumstances as the Blackmore crash”. See also: https://blackmorehistory.blogspot.com/2008/12/blackmore-notes-and-queries-3-americans.html
“For the first time, in 2016,
the names of those onboard B26 aircraft, no 42-95823, “Baby Doll III”, were
able to be known and honoured in the place where they died”.
The unveiling date of the
Memorial has yet to be announced as Faculty (the permission to make changes to
the church structure) has only recently been granted. The wording, as commissioned, on the wall
mounted plaque reads:
To the glory of
God and in commemoration of
The United States
Army Air Force Stationed at Essex Airfields
During World War
II who died so we would remain free
This plaque is
dedicated to the memory of
FIRST LIEUTENANT
RICHARD E. BAEHR
FIRST LIEUTENANT
FRANK I. YAWITZ
STAFF SERGEANT
EDWARD G. DEMYANOVICH
CORPORAL JOHN M.
MYERS
Of the 391st Bombardment
Group who were killed
When their
aircraft crashed in a Blackmore field
On 24th September
1944
