It’s an odd little memorial just off the side of the Road near the football pitches near Gilman Road. I’m not entirely sure of the circumstances either. Mousehold was at the time a dummy airfield chances are that either plane could have been making that way to try and get down safely, I’ll try and cover the remains of the airfield another time in detail, there are remains in the industrial estate on Heartsease, the field itself lying under the school and beneath the curved roads, flats and towers of the estate. The crew of the Beaufort all died, a real cross section of nationalities, British, New Zealander and Canadian.
The Hampden was slightly luckier with the crew surviving with the exception of the pilot. The aeroplane had flown out of RAF Luffenham. They had been hit by flak over a target and the pilot was trying to crash land the plane safely by heading towards Horsham St Faith. It’s possible that the dummy field at Mousehold caused some confusion.
Honouring the memory of
Plt off Colin Barton R.N.Z.A.F. Flt.Sgt. James lemon R.C.A.F.
Flt.Sgt. Robert Kater R.C.A.F. Sgt. Donald carpenter R.A.F.V.R
The crew of a Bristol Beaufort which crashed on this site on 25th July 1942
And
Sgt. Ernest Nightingale D.F.M. R.A.F.V.R.
Pilot of the Hampden bomber which crash-landed
In Long Valley Mousehold on 12th february 1942
This plaque dedicated by the citizens of Norwich on 22nd April 1990.
More information here on Moominpapas photostream
More on the Hampden here http://www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem27.htm
I am writing a book about airmen from my local area who were lost in WWII. One of these men is Robert Kater whose name is inscribed on the memorial. I would kindly like to request permission to use the photo of the memorial on your site in my book. Please let me know if this is possible. Thank you!
Re: Gilman Road, Mousehold : Bristol Beaufort Crash Site.
I remember very well, as a seven year old, going to look at the wreckage of that aeroplane. There were Army, RAF and Policemen and military vehicles there and the immediate area was cordoned off to prevent fire and injury, and keep the public away. The aircraft had disintegrated and wreckage scattered all around, and I particularly remember one of the undercarriage wheels was sheared off and hanging in the branches of a tree. We were quite upset to learn that none of the crew had survived.
I had not realised until today that the site had been marked with a Memorial Plaque
dedicated to those brave airmen, and am rather touched that they have been remembered despite the passing of so many years since that tragic day, and will now visit the site to pay my respects.