Lancaster crew remembered in France

摘要

To mark the 70th anniversary of the crash of Avro Lancaster III PB129 a memorial plaque has been installed on the seafront in Ambleteuse, France, close to the site where the 405 Squadron machine came down on September 25,1944. The Pathfinder Force bomber was badly damaged by flak while on its way to a target in the Pas de Calais. Three of the eight crew were able to bale out, but the others perished when the Lancaster broke up and crashed. The memorial was unveiled on September 27,2014, in the presence of relatives of the deceased, local dignitaries and a large crowd paying their respects. After a minute of silence at 11am and overlooked by 14 flag-bearers, Deborah Ward, granddaughter of navigator Fg Off Wilfred Goddard dfc, and Emma Saunders, great-niece of wireless operator Fg Off Charles Laishley, stepped forward to reveal the plaque.