A rectangular, white, vertically-oriented plaque, made of white Italian Aura stone and worked by Richard Klose, Master Stone Mason, has the 617 Squadron insignia (motto: Apres Moi le Deluge) and the chevron of the 27th Transport Group, painted and fired in enamel on steel and set into the stone by enamellist Gillie Hoyte Byrom. It is inscribed in English in black lettering commemorating the loss of fifteen lives from two different aircraft crashes, first are the eight persons from the 617 Sqn Lancaster DV382 KC-J and the second are the men aboard the 311 AAF Ferrying Squadron Douglas C-47 Skytrain 43-16394. The memorial follows five years of work by writer Dione Venables, a church council member of St Mary The Virgin at Upwaltham.

Dakota C-47B, piloted by 1st Lieutenant Richard Pogue, was assigned to the 311 Ferrying Squadron, 27th Air Transport Group on a non-operational flight carrying freight and mail from Istres in France to the US Air Force base at Grove, Berkshire, having gone into Le Bourget, Paris to refuel en route. As well as their crew of three, 1st Lieutenant Pogue, 2nd Lieutenant Robert G. Robinson, co-pilot, and Corporal Jerome T. Smith, the radio operator, there were four passengers, 2nd Lieutenant Craig Moore, Staff Sergeant Victor C. Corson, Sergeant Carl Clayton, and Sergeant Robert Norris, also from Istres, who were to relieve work overload at Grove for a few weeks. The last report of Dakota's location came from Tangmere Flying Control at 11.25 am, when it was noted that the aircraft was flying overhead in deteriorating weather at around 300-400 feet ascending, heading north. The ceiling was zero, visibility 25 yards at the time. Around 1200 hours a report came into Tangmere Flying Control that an aircraft had crashed into a hill north of this airfield. A search party which included Mr. Chapman, John Chapman drove a tractor, and the valley men were sent out and discovered the C-47 completely disintegrated between West Wood and Burton Down. There were no survivors. The aircraft crashed close to the top of the hill, indicating that it was still in ascent at the moment of impact.

Flying Control Tangmere reported that the aircraft had flown over them at around 300400 feet. There had, however, been no verbal contact between the C-47 and the control towers at either Ford or Tangmere nor was there a pilot call for instructions. The investigating party decided that the pilot had let down to a few hundred feet over the English Channel but did not break out of the cloud and so did not realize that he had crossed the southern coast of England. From the lie of the wreckage, it is thought that Lieutenant Pogue saw the hill, banked sharply and the left-wing hit the trees, was torn off and the resulting lift on the right-wing caused the aircraft to cartwheel. The wreckage was spread over a wide area.

Aircraft and crew info:

Date: 11th February 1945 (Sunday)

Unit: 311 AAF Ferrying Squadron, 27th Air Transport Group

Type: Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Serial: 43-16394

Code: 1-DL

Base: A-54 airbase, Le Bourget, France

Location: Upwaltham Hill, Nr Chichester, Sussex

Pilot: 1st Lt Richard Lee Pogue. 0-518549. U.S.A.A.F. Age 28. Killed

Co-Pilot/Navigator: 2nd Lt. Robert G. Robinson. O-674949. U.S.A.A.F. Age 26. Killed

Radio Op/Engineer: Cpl. Jerome T. Smith. 12193247. U.S.A.A.F. Age 21. Killed

Passengers:

S/Sgt. Victor C. Corson. 15323223. U.S.A.A.F. Age 32. Killed

Sgt. Robert Simeon Norris. 34570926. U.S.A.A.F. Age 25. Killed

2nd Lt. Craig C. Moore. O-1999350. U.S.A.A.F. Age 24. Killed

Sgt. Carl G. Clayton. 32387705. U.S.A.A.F. Age ? Killed

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, www.roll-of-honour.com, sussexhistoryforum.co.uk

Source of photos: Google Maps

IN REMEMBRANCE OF FIFTEEN

AIRMEN FROM AUSTRALIA , AMERICA , BRITAIN

AND CANADA WHO LOST THEIR LIVES AT

UPWALTHAM WHILE ON ACTIVE SERVICE

DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR

(-names-)

POGUE Richard L, 1^st Lieutenant USAAF

ROBINSON Robert G, 2^nd Lieutenant USAAF

SMITH Jerome T, Corporal USAAF

CORSON Victor C, Staff Sergeant USAAF

MOORE Craig C, 2^nd Lieutenant USAAF

NORRIS Robert S, Sergeant USAAF

CLAYTON Cart, Sergeant USAAF

Raised by the parishioners of Upwaltham in 2009