Memorial service held in Edith Weston 80 years after RAF Lancaster crashed in village

maddy.baillie@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Published: 15:05, 11 March 2025

Church bells sounded to mark the 80th anniversary of a plane crash.

Villagers in Edith Weston gathered outside of the memorial at St Mary the Virgin Church on Tuesday last week (March 4) to honour the eight airmen killed in the 1945 crash.

It was 80 years to the day that a pilot encountered a problem while trying to land the RAF Lancaster at the nearby North Luffenham airfield runway.

High Sheriff Richard Cole standing next to Jim Thompson, nephew of Sgt Thompson, who died in the Lancaster crash aged 19, and Edith Weston villagers

The plane crashed about 100 yards east of the village church and caught fire, killing everyone inside.

Relatives and close family friends of the crew travelled from across the country to attend the commemoration.

Michael Hough read the Roll Call and veteran Gareth Jones gave a short address and epitaph.

Edith Weston bell ringers with High Sheriff Richard Cole

At 4pm the bells, rung by villagers and a band from St Kyneburgha’s Church in Castor, sounded in memory of the crew which had died.

The church bells were ‘half muffled’ , which gave a soft and slightly mournful sound.

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