Wartime plane crash in Maltby
FROM time to time, Maltby Local History Society enjoys a members' meeting when interesting items are brought in and memories are shared.
One of our longest serving members, Derek Drabble, recently entertained us with reminiscences of life as a lad in Maltby during the Second World War.
Having told us a lot about the part played by his parents, Bert and Dolly, in the musical life of the district, it came as no surprise that one of Derek's best stories began with a violin lesson that Bert was giving to Ken Edmondson, a lad a bit older than Derek.
"As soon as it was over Ken couldn't contain himself," Derek explained. "It was a case of 'Come on Derek, jump on mi crossbar, a plane's just crashed'."
Off the two lads went on Ken's bike, up the hill to Slade Hooton, where an RAF bomber had come down just short of one of the nearby airfields.
"When we got there, a policeman was on duty, and we were not allowed anywhere near," Derek told us.
The lads' disappointment was, however, relatively short-lived as the aircraft was eventually loaded onto an RAF Queen Mary - a kind of low loader - and driven to Maltby.
There it was kept overnight near to the 'new' Fire Station which used to be located on land to the west of Millindale, in the old village.
Derek didn't reveal exactly how he acquired his two 'souvenirs' of the incident.
The first was a small Perspex window, which his mother promptly made into a splash-back on the kitchen sink.
The second, a little khaki canvas bag, is still in his possession, and is shown in the photograph.
After the war, Derek went on to do his National Service in the RAF. So his early enthusiasm for aircraft was clearly put to good use.
by society chairman Alice Rodgers
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Weather for Dinnington
Thursday 09 February 2012
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Light snow
Temperature: 0 C to 2 C
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