Aircrew Memorials at Laxton, Notts – Wellington LP841

On Sunday 6th January 2013, two memorial stones were dedicated in memory of the crew of a Wellington aircraft that was lost in early 1945.

The aircraft was LP841 from No.82 OTU (Operational Training Unit) flying out of RAF Ossington, Nottinghamshire; it crashed shortly after take-off at 5pm on 5th January 1945 and wreckage fell into the South Field at Laxton.

Below is a section from a news release about the memorial stones:

“The first memorial stone has been installed in the church of St. Michael the Archangel and it bears the names of the four members of the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) who were killed in the crash and the name of the one survivor.

Wellington LP841 hit an electrical pole near the local stream in a small valley just outside of Laxton and burst into flames. The tail section of the aircraft broke away, which enabled the rear gunner Sgt R Eden to escape. He was eventually led to safety by local villagers

A second memorial has been positioned by the roadside on Moorhouse Road, just outside of the village, overlooking the crash site. Wreaths were placed at both memorial locations.

Several years ago members from the Newark Air Museum became actively engaged in assisting Ken Shepherd in trying to make contact with the relatives of the airman involved in the crash. Just after Remembrance Sunday in November 2012 a major breakthrough occurred when contact was established in Canada with some family members of rear gunner Sgt R Eden. They too are now working with the villagers from Laxton in trying to contact the relatives of the RCAF airmen who were killed in the crash; they were:

F/O L J Robillard (Bomb Aimer) from Toronto, Ontario

F/O J C McLeod (Pilot) from Minnedosa, Manitoba

F/O E E Fernandez (Navigator) from Windsor, Ontario

Sgt E A Bishop (Wireless Op / Air Gunner) from Carseland, Alberta

Some additional contacts have also been established in Canada, but if anyone is able to help establish further contact with these families they are asked to make contact with the Newark Air Museum via their website at http://www.newarkairmuseum.org “