Respects paid to 1953 bomber crew

The crew were flying on a peacetime training mission when they died

Ten airmen who perished when their Washington bomber mysteriously crashed in a training exercise 55 years ago have been commemorated in Denbighshire.

Hundreds attended Saturday's service at St Garmon's Church in Llanarmon-yn-Ial where wreaths were laid and a slate memorial unveiled to those who died.

The men died when their plane crashed into woods at nearby Gelli Gynnan Farm.

The tragedy is still one of the largest RAF death tolls in peacetime and its cause has never been established.

The Reverend Huw Butler told the congregation how a memorial service had been held in the church back in 1953 but had left "a sense of incompleteness" in that there had never been a formal memorial for those who had lost their lives.

Around 300 people attended the service of dedication in memory of the crew of the 90 Squadron B-29 Washington Bomber which crashed on 9 January, 1953.

LOST CREW OF THE B29 WASHINGTON BOMBER Squadron Leader WR Sloane, 32, from Belfast Pilot Officer CB Speller, 28, from Finsbury, London Pilot Officer MJ Lightowlers, 21, Leeds Sgt EF Wheeler, 18, Hemel Hempstead Sgt KA Reakes, 28, Cardiff Sgt RFS Anderson, 24, Edinburgh Sgt ED Pearton, 28, Newport, south east Wales Sgt AS Martin, 22, Kent Sgt MJ Clifton, 18, Cambridge Sgt RG Hughson, 18, Edinburgh

The congregation included the families of those who died, people who attended the emergency more than 50 years ago and representatives from the RAF and Royal British Legion.

They watched as 14 standard bearers formed a guard of honour as wreaths were laid at the new memorial, the last post was played and a minute's silence given before a RAF tornado performed a special fly-past over the church.

The tornado came from RAF Marham in Norfolk where 10 of those who died were based before they lost their lives on the practise bombing run above Denbighshire.

The plane flew over the North Sea and back across northern England as part of its routine training flight before it lost radar contact over the Wirral at about 13,000ft.

For some reason the aircraft went into a steep dive with one witness reporting that its engine appeared to rev up and die before its tail broke away causing it to plunge towards the ground.

The plane was found upside down in the trees at Gelli Gynnan and despite rescue attempts the burning craft exploded and no-one survived.

'Overwhelming experience'

A board of inquiry failed to uncover the reason for the crash and families of the dead never thought the men would ever receive the recognition of a memorial service.

Sheelah Sloane and her brother Richard attended the service to pay their respects to their father, Squadron Leader Bill Sloane, who was killed in the crash.

She explained how her father had only ended up piloting the craft after winning a coin toss with an RAF colleague to see who would pilot the plane on its peacetime mission.

"I never thought today would happen," said Miss Sloane. "I am just completely overwhelmed by the whole experience.

"I never dreamt that after all these years that we could have had such a wonderful celebration of these men's lives.

Six of the crew are buried at Hawarden cemetery in Flintshire

"A whole community has come out, we have had standard bearers, a wonderful Welsh choir, and the fly past…. that was just so amazing! It brought tears to my eyes.

"I have always found it so sad that my Dad survived the war years, having seen action in India and in the Middle East, but then was so tragically killed eight years after the war ended."

Alex Hughson came over from California with his wife, Lynn, and daughter, Tamar, in remembrance of his big brother Bobby who was just 19 when he was killed.

Mr Hughson was seven years old at the time of the tragedy and he told the service that as a boy he had suggested a memorial - but was told that they were only for important people.

He said that the service and memorial were "long overdue" and there was now a memorial for all to see and for all time.

"He (Bobby) had been home on leave not long before he died and I enjoyed the short time I had with him," said Mr Hughson. "He really was my hero."