Downside School has marked the 83rd anniversary of one of the most tragic events in its history, gathering pupils, staff and visitors to remember the lives lost in the 1943 cricket ground air crash.
The commemorative service took place on 15 May at 3.15pm, the exact time the accident occurred during the Second World War.
On the afternoon of 15 May 1943, two Sea Hurricanes from RNAS Yeovilton were carrying out low-flying training manoeuvres over the school grounds while a cricket match was being played.
As the second aircraft flew at an exceptionally low altitude, the pilot attempted to climb over a line of tall fir trees bordering the cricket pitch. The aircraft clipped the trees, nosedived into a grass bank and burst into flames before crashing into a crowd of boys watching the match from an embankment.
The pilot, Sub-Lieutenant Alan McCracken, and eight pupils were killed instantly. A ninth pupil later died from his injuries and more than a dozen others were injured.
The school community gathered at the cricket pavilion to pay tribute to those who lost their lives and to reflect on the impact the tragedy had on generations of Downside pupils and staff.
As part of the commemoration, a flypast was conducted over the cricket grounds by a Navy Wings Chipmunk aircraft from the historic flight of the Fleet Air Arm, based at RNAS Yeovilton.
The school expressed its gratitude to the pilots who took part in the tribute, helping to ensure the events of 15 May 1943 are never forgotten.
Those remembered during the service were:
- David Michael Jennings, aged 10
- Hugh Michael Dearlove, aged 14
- David Hugh Lowndes, aged 16
- Laurence John McNabb, aged 15
- Brian Richard Patrick McSwiney, aged 14
- Michael Bagot Quinlan, aged 15
- Philip Humphrey Peter Rose, aged 14
- Keith Edward Charles Stokes, aged 15
- Sub-Lieutenant Alan McCracken, aged 22
Their memory continues to hold a special place in the history of Downside School and the wider community.
