- Contributed by听
- springerfern
- People in story:听
- geoff allen
- Location of story:听
- broad avenue leicester
- Article ID:听
- A2288090
- Contributed on:听
- 11 February 2004
It was in the year of 1945 that we learned of a Sterling bomber crashing at a nearby airfield by the name 'Stoughton Airfield'.
It was coming in to land when a Corsa glider chose to land on the same runway, in the oppersite direction to the Stirling. The gliders used Stoughton airfield for practice and they were from Dalby airfield (Melton Mowbray).The glider having no control, forced the pilot of the Stirling to jump over the Corsa thus causing the Stirling to crash in a field, in fact it 'stopped' directly on top of a clump of trees serveral feet up. In later years a surviving member of the crew recalls using one of the parachutes to get the crew out by sliding down to safety. Fortunately I believe there were no injuries.
The Stirling was eventually brought down from the trees and all of the vital bits and pieces removed, but it still left the huge fusealarge with a few not so important bits and pieces. When the security people had gone, me and my friends went to have a look. It wasn't long before we were the new crew and making bombing raids and always crashing on our return !
The Stirling in mention was one of many based at that airfield because they were used to drop our spies behind enemy lines.
Those spies were trained at a very nearby 'Stretton Hall' which today I believe is devided into apartments.
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