Service on Worthing promenade honours the crew of a Lancaster bomber to mark the 80th anniversary of it crashing on the beach

Transcript

00:00As you can remember, the crew of Lancaster TB355, who tragically lost their lives when

00:18they crashed onto Worthington 80 years ago.

00:23The crew of the 49 Squadron took off from R.F.

00:27Forbeck in Lincolnshire at 4.15 on Sunday 17 December 1944.

00:35Heading for a bombing mission over the southern city of Munich, they joined 280 Lancasters

00:44over the skies of Reading as they turned south-southeast to head towards coast and

00:52the channel crossing.

00:54During this part of the journey, the heavy laden Lancaster struggled to maintain height

01:00and lost contact with the formation.

01:04They broke radio silence and were ordered to fly to the channel, release their bombs

01:12and return to base.

01:15The crew continued to lose height and took the aircraft towards Worthing, where they

01:22narrowly missed the Plaza Cinema in Rolands Road, now the Bingo Hall, scaring the cinema

01:29goers as loud engine noise roared overhead.

01:33The Lancaster continued towards the sea, missing Burlington Hotel before coming over

01:41the sea defences and crash landing onto the beach.

01:47Large explosions, I mean bombs and ammunition going off meant that the rest of the crews

01:53could not get close to the Lancaster.

01:57But they did, they recovered one body from the wreckage, that of High Sergeant Gordon

02:04Callum, who was the tail gunner.

02:08He was buried in a cemetery in Little Hampton, but they could not find the other members

02:15of the crew.

02:18It was a tragic loss, but a tragedy averted because of their bravery that the Lancaster

02:26did not crash onto Worthing Hilltop area.

02:29And so today, 80 years on, we remember the crew.

02:35They're in tears.

02:38Of the Lancaster.

02:40We know that the pilot was due to get married just a few days after the incident.

02:48We knew one of the crew had only married four months earlier.

02:54So this young great man, who in their duty, paid the ultimate sacrifice, died 80 years

03:02ago.

03:03He's joined with me for a moment of silence.

03:07A bit of silence.

03:18Edward Esenheim.

03:22High Nut James Thompson.

03:27Flight Sergeant Frederick Rees.

03:32Flight Sergeant Gordon Callum.

03:36Sergeant Leonard Bourne.

03:40Sergeant James Moore.

03:42Sergeant Harry Corry.