On Saturday the 8th of February a commemoration took place in Prickwillow for those who died 80 years ago when two aircraft collided above the village.
Amongst those assembled were Colonel Roger Herriot OBE DL, The Rev’d Canon Jeremy James, The Mayor & Mayoress of Ely, Cllr & Mrs Richard Morgan, Mr Chris Jakes, Mr Stanley Rice (aged 93 years), Standard Bearer David Martin, Royal British Legion, and Mrs Patricia Del Grazia, Master of Ceremonies, and 50 parishioners.
Mr Chris Jakes, local historian, gave a most informative and detailed description of the events which happened on that fateful day: 6 February 1945.
Family members of those who died came forward and unveiled the plaque.
USAAF Staff Sergeant Zaddis Walker, of the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, RAF Mildenhall laid a wreath
The Mayor of Ely closed the proceedings.
On 6th February 1945, two aeroplanes collided in the air over Cambridgeshire. One of the aeroplanes fell in Prickwillow, and two children were killed.
Josephine Legge, who was 19 months old, and Pamela Turner, who was aged 10, were both killed when the plane crashed into their home.
19-year-old Sergeant Edward T. Tijan, a member of the United States Army Air Forces, was a member of the aircrew involved in the fatal air crash. He also died.
Sgt Tijan is now buried in the Mount Carmel Catholic Cemetery, Hillside, Cook County, Illinois, USA. He was decorated posthumously with a Purple Heart.
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