Brackley and the War in the Skies

 

Brackley and the War in the Skies 

by Cllr. Bernie Tiller 

 

Brackley may appear today to be a quiet market town, but during the Second World War it stood at the center of one of Britain’s busiest flying training areas. Surrounded by airfields such as RAF Turweston, Croughton and Hinton-in-the-Hedges, the skies above the town were constantly filled with aircraft as young crews trained to fly Wellington bombers. 

One night in March 1944, that danger came directly to Brackley. A Wellington bomber lifted from RAF Turweston on a routine training flight. Minutes later, something went wrong. At low altitude, after a practice approach, the aircraft lost lift and came down in flames on ground that is now the busy roundabout linking Wellington Road, the Medical Centre and Sainsbury’s. 

Six members of the crew lost their lives. One survived. 

It was not an isolated event. Hundreds of similar accidents occurred across the surrounding countryside, often witnessed by local people. Even after victory in 1945, crews continued to lose their lives during training. 

After the war, the story did not end. RAF Croughton became a United States Air Force base, bringing American families to Brackley many of whom made the town their permanent home. 

This is only part of Brackley’s remarkable aviation story one that stretches from wartime sacrifice to lasting international friendship.