- Contributed by听
- street
- People in story:听
- Street and Reay families
- Location of story:听
- Northolt
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A8807844
- Contributed on:听
- 24 January 2006
Wellington Crash NORTHOLT, October 1942
Record of a WW2 family tragedy
From (macwester) a Street family relative
Street Family: Bill(father) Phyllis (mother) Molly(daughter) Beryl(daughter)
Reay Family: Lily (mother) Ruth (daughter) Marion (daughter)
Bill Street had joined the Royal Marines in 1941. In the summer of 1942 he had been home on leave at his home in Brockenhurst Hants, and then returned to his unit in South Wales. Phyllis had wanted to go and stay with him in Wales but Bill had been unable to get rooms. She then decided to go to visit her sister Lily and daughters Ruth and Marion, leaving on the Friday afternoon to spend a fortnight with them in Ruislip, near Northolt.
On the Sunday the two mothers and the children went out to visit friends when the tragedy happened.
A letter from the MOD R.A.F. confirms that on 18th October 1942 a Wellington Mark 1c T2564 of 311(Czechoslovak) squadron spun into the ground and caught fire off a steep turn near the ground half a mile east of Northolt. It is understood all 13 aboard were killed. Civilian casualties included Phylis, Molly and Beryl Street. Lily, Ruth and Marion Reay, all were sadly killed.
Bill heard the dreadful news in South Wales and travelled to London with father Fred Street for the sad task of identifying the two families.
The funeral of the two mothers and four children of the Street and Reay families was conducted by the Vicar, Reverend Haslam on 24th October 1942. They were all buried in St Nicholas Churchyard, Brockenhurst, Hampshire.
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