Cwmbrans War Dead

On 25 Aug 1944 came yet another example of the unselfish courage and sacrifice of young Allied aircrew when a Suffolk town was saved from disaster by the actions of an RAF crew in a crippled bomber.

Lancaster I LM258 HA-Q of 218 Sqn at Methwold took off at 1855 hours on a daylight evening raid against a V-1 Flying Bomb site at Vincly in France.

It appears that Lancaster LM258 was hit by flak near St Omer as other crews in the formation reported losing sight of the aircraft on the return leg. At 2115 hours the Lancaster was seen approaching Felixstowe low from the SW. Evidently the crew had been attempting to reach the Emergency Landing Ground (ELG) at RAF Woodbridge, but realising they could not maintain height on two engines - both port engines had stopped - they turned back towards the coast. After circling Felixstowe with the undercarriage lowered, the bomber made a turn to port into the dead engines, side-slipped, and dived into the sea a 1/4 mile SSE of the New Pier. Two dull explosions were heard before fire broke out and the burning wreckage sank from view in 12 ft of water.

An RAF Walrus amphibian from 277 ASR Sqn was on the scene almost immediately, and two High Speed Launches from Felixstowe Dock were at the spot 20 minutes later. Three of the crew were picked up from the sea. Sgt Craig the rear gunner was still alive when found, but died from his injuries in the RAF Sick Bay at Felixstowe 3 hours later. The other two, Sgt Covell the mid-upper gunner and F/O Oxenham RNZAF the Bomb Aimer were both dead.

Two more bodies were recovered on 1 Sept 1944. Sgt Dyer the navigator was found in Harwich Harbour and pilot Flt Lt Doug Haggis was washed up at Fagbury Beach, Trimley St Martin. Flt Sgt Murray the wireless operator was found near the Spa Pavilion at Felixstowe the next day. It would be another month until the final body, that of F/O Mathias the flight engineer, finally washed ashore at Landguard Point, Felixstowe on 6 Oct 1944. F/O Mathias was buried in Felixstowe (New) Cemetery while four others were interred at Cambridge City Cemetery and the other two taken back to their home towns.

In 2001 the seven crewmen were honoured when a granite memorial containing details of the event was unveiled at Felixstowe Town Hall in the presence of some of the relatives of the crew. At the bottom of the memorial is a line from the letter of condolence sent to the next-of-kin by the Felixstowe Town Clerk in Sept 1944: "For that noble action we shall be forever indebted"