Lest We Forget - Relic from the 40's Traditional Cache

Although this is a long way from the nearest houses please do not look by torchlight as a consideration to the residents of this quiet little village...

Lancaster ED583 was something of a veteran and had taken part in many key missions having clocked up 281 flying hours, however on the 4th October 1943 it took off from RAF Waltham never to return.

On the 2/3 October 1943 Lancaster ED 583 flew its last active mission, a bombing raid on Munich in Germany. During this raid it sustained damage but made it home and was duly repaired at RAF Waltham. After being declared ’serviceable’ it was taken out for an ‘Air Test’

At 12.05 hrs Flying Officer Thomas H Morgan, a United States Air Force pilot on voluntary service with the Royal Air Force, took 7 others out on a test flight.
45 minutes later the plane was over the village of North Thoresby and disaster struck - structural failure of the wings saw the plane begin to break up.
The entire crew lost their lives and debris from the plane was scattered over a large area but the main body of the plane actually hit the village.
It hit, and destroyed, a Methodist church and the subsequent fire destroyed the cottages either side - incredibly no villagers lost their lives or were injured but the entire 8 man crew perished.

On 4th September 2005 there was a dedication ceremony to unveil the outstanding monument to those who were lost. On the day there were ex-servicemen present, a guard of honour from the RAF and a Lancaster fly past Battle of Britain Memorial flight.

Well worth taking a moment from our supposedly busy and complicated lives to contemplate what really is important and to remember all those young men and women who have given everything so we can live as we do today.