The Golders Green Memorial Stone

The following is a newspaper article featured in the Times-Series by Alex Alley on June 21st 2018.

 

Memorial Unveiled

 

A memorial stone has been unveiled to honour five airmen killed in a plane crash during the First world War.

 

 

An RAF Handley Page bomber crashed in a Golders Green street in June 1918.

 

The stone was unveiled by the Barnet Mayor Reuben Thompstone, who also paid tribute to the dead. He said: “Six men launched on this mission, to finish the Great War sooner. Five of those brave men paid with their lives.

 

“This memorial at Garrick Road represents a key part of our local history and the courage of men like the members of Captain Busby’s crew who lost their lives in this endeavour.”

 

Pilot Cpt Vernon Earl George Busby, Mr Bertram G. Cooper, Me R. P. Cooper, Mr W. H. Hathaway and Mr J. W. Windebank died when their plane came down shortly after taking off from Cricklewood Aerodrome on June 8th 1918.

 

The aircraft crashed in front of 21 Garrick Avenue, leaving only one survivor – Colonel Ogilvie, a passenger in the tail gunner position at the back of the plane.

 

Shortly after the aircraft had taken flight, at an altitude of approximately 700 – 800ft, all four of the engines were heard to stop.

 

This sent the aircraft into a spin before it crashed to the ground and caught fire.

 

The service, held on June 8th 2018, was led by the Reverend Rex Morton, Vicar of Golders Green Parish Church, was well attended by representatives of the RAF, Barnet Council and the Handley Page Association.

 

 

Here’s a video of the event…