Gt Offley memorial to lost crew refused by Parish Council.

First off my name is Paul not Pete, secondly the Hitchin Comet is inaccurate and wildly misquoted me. I am not and was not angry at the Parish Council just to clear that up!

Back in 2010 I contacted the Parish Council (different Clerk back then who didn’t even live in the village!) and they weren’t interested, as the anniversary date was fast approaching a couple of months ago now, I contacted the village newsletter as I felt the event should get some recognition on the 70th anniversary, the editor forwarded my request to the present Clerk who knew of the crash but didn’t have the details. He mentioned it at the next parish council meeting and again they decided against doing anything. Note memorials are very expensive and all I wanted was for anniversary to be mentioned in the Village newsletter, this has now happened.

I recently spoke to Pat Thorne who is the last surviving person who witnessed the aftermath of the crash and he filled in some additional details. He was also able to clear up a rumour about a B17 crash between Little Offley and Wellbury, this never happened and in fact it was a German bomber that was jettisoning its bombs in the field next to Little Offley House at regular intervals, the last one being on the other side of the Hexton Road to the north. Several of the bomb craters still exist one as a pond in the field next to Little Offley House/Farm. Just goes to show how these things get adapted.

One footnote was the farmer whose wife and daughters were killed in the crash later committed suicide in one the barns.

thegt4

Give Joe Sharp my regards if you know him and if he still lives in Gt Offley

Brian, do you mind posting this on AiX as well please?

Thanks

Rich

No problem, done. Richard, I am trying to contact Peter to pass on the forum pages to him but I have had no response yet.

Brian, do you mind posting this on AiX as well please?

Thanks

Rich

Odd one this.

In response to Mr Strickland’s request, Offley Parish Council clerk David Sample wrote in an emai: “After much debate it was decided against particularly commemorating this event as the parish council did not want to offend any other areas of the parish where we do not have details of other events.

As a long-time governmental “spokesman”..I find that odd language. I have no idea what they’re saying. At the very least, it’s very bad communications.

But if it was ethnically motivated (and I’m not saying it is….I’ve never even been to Luton, so I’ll gladly admit I’m not an expert on the area..and I note the previous speculation of that has been removed) I wouldn’t expect anyone in government to admit it. 😉

I cannot see what their problem is if the memorials are funded by private individuals. If the planning permission is lodged by those wishing to build it, and and the set fee accepted by the Parish council in which area the memorial would be placed in, then there is no need for the Parish council to spend any money whatsoever! In fact they will make out of it. All they have to do is agree at a local council meeting.

In this day and age you cannot expect a council to pay out for a memorial. If individuals form a group, then funds can be raised, along with local awareness and an appropriate memorial can be built.

I live in Great Offley, less than 100 metres from the crash site and every time I walk past the spot I stop and spare some thoughts for the crew and residents who died there.

I also wonder how many Offley residents are not aware of the tragedy that occurred there ? In my opinion not many will have ties to the village going back very far……more reason to place a memorial.

I am very disappointed to hear that the Parish Council are unwilling to place some sort of memorial on the site and cannot understand the logic of their reasoning for not allowing it ??

Will definitely voice my disapproval when voting for the Parish Council next time and will ensure all my friends and family do the same.

Also with reference to the Glebe Farm explosion both my Father and Grandfather were local police officers at the time and attended the scene immediately afterwards. My father was left with terrible memories of the scene.

Reading and re-reading it seems to me to be the parish council fearing, say; someone for Lilley just down the road complaining about a lack of memorial for a wartime crash there when Great Offley have just had their’s.

In the local area there is the Lancaster crash and the Glebe Farm Explosion and how much trouble would it be the remember them all? There can’t be many others in such a rural location.

All in all, its a pretty poor excuse.

Also, a recollection of life in Ottley during wartime, including the Lancaster crash and the explosion at Glebe Farm: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/41/a6336641.shtml

Jack, I have placed a picture here, the pointer is where offley is so you have an idea how far from Luton we are talking about.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]229392[/ATTACH]

Being that close to Luton, I don’t think ethnicity comes into it. But I do understand your views if we had a memorial for every crash site.

Thanks for the feedback.

If you are serious about having this memorial in place – and others for that matter, it is simplicity itself for you to go to your local County Court and ask for a District Judge to make a decision binding on both parties.

If you present the case yourself rather than relying on expensively suited solicitors, it won’t cost you a bean, only applicable Court fees.

All someone needs is the time and the inclination plus a few witnesses.

I am not being racist, just making a observation but the Luton area as high number of muslims, so perhaps the council does not want to offend them. Our local council told the crematorium to remove the crucifix from the alter, in case it offended other religions…
Or it could be the cost, if every plane that crashed had a memorial, the council might only be able to go a official jaunt for 27 days instead of 28 this year, or am I being cynical? but still a shame where allied war dead and local civilians cannot be remembered…

regards
jack…

Odd one this.

In response to Mr Strickland’s request, Offley Parish Council clerk David Sample wrote in an emai: “After much debate it was decided against particularly commemorating this event as the parish council did not want to offend any other areas of the parish where we do not have details of other events.

If no one knows of any events then how can they be offended?

Perhaps Mr Strickland should approach Moulding plant who are at West end Farm.

It is also strange that Elsie’s name is not on the war memorial.

The parish council said it would add the name of Elsie Handley as a serving member of the armed forces to the Offley War Memorial.

HANDLEY, ELSIE
Rank:PrivateService No:W/83086 Date of Death:18/07/1944 Age:28 Regiment/Service:Auxiliary Territorial Service Grave Reference New Part. Row 3. Grave 19.CemeteryOFFLEY (ST. MARY MAGDALENE) CHURCHYARD

Think a change of parish councillor’s is needed.