The recent story commemorating 70 years since a plane returning from a mission in World War Two and crashing in Pogmoor has personal memories for me.
I was six years old and living in Winter Terrace at the time and whilst playing in the back garden saw what I thought was the sun’s reflections but were actually flames.
The plane then began to descend and a parachute appeared not far away.
It was not until after crashing into what was then a quarry that it was discovered the pilot had stayed at the controls deliberately to miss the local houses only yards away and his co-pilot landed near Broadway.
Only later was it realised how the heroic pilot had averted a possible disaster so close to my home.
© 2013 Barnsley Chronicle Ltd
Yes I remember that sad day .I was about 6 at the time and lived at Kingstone .We saw the parachutes coming out of the burning plane and then this massive "CRUMP" coming from the Pogmoor area .We later found out the pilot had crashed into Poggy Quarry . It's still embedded iin my memory that selfless sacrifice .
Eddie Bent
NSW
Australia
back in the 1960's I worked with Richard (Dick) May. He was a welder at Woolley Colliery (Darton). He was working at Qualter Hall, Barnsley, when the plane crashed. He was one of the fire men at the factory and they grabbed hoses and extinguishes before heading towards the blaze. On reaching the quarry, they realised that little could be done. Ammuntion was exploding and for a short while they had to take refuge behind a wall.
Peter. Winnipeg. Canada.