St Andrews Park Wellington T2905 Memorial

The memorial inscription lists the names of all 6 crew members.

Somewhere over the West Country the aircraft drifted off course and entered Bristol's protected airspace at around 21:40–21:50. Bristol was defended by an extensive balloon barrage. T2905 struck the cables from sites 51/21 and 51/23, operated by 951 Balloon Squadron, carrying away a second cable that wrapped around the aircraft. Trailing this cable, the Wellington lost height over the houses of Bishopston and flew into St Andrews Park. The cable snagged an elm tree at the edge of the park, and the sudden arrest brought the aircraft down. The tail section was severed on impact; the forward fuselage continued up the hill and burst into flames. What followed was an act of immediate community heroism. Martin Bools pulled second pilot Sgt Lawrence Houghton from the burning wreckage and carried him to 18 Maurice Road. His daughter Betty Bools and local resident Basil Stirratt rescued rear gunner Sgt Richard Wish. Sgt John Jones, who lost his left index finger to gangrene after the crash, was pulled clear by Bruce Westlake and Sgt George Goodall. Jones was later admitted to Queen Victoria Hospital and became a member of the Guinea Pig Club. Three men did not survive: pilot P/O Kenneth Evans (26), wireless operator/air gunner Sgt Thomas Lever (20), and wireless operator/air gunner Sgt Charles Clarke (25). Clarke had married Nora Litchfield on 13 February 1937 and had two children, with a third on the way at the time of his death. Sgt Lawrence Houghton's story has a remarkable second chapter. Rescued from the burning wreck by the Bools family, he recovered from his injuries and resumed flying. On 29 March 1942, on his 14th operation with 142 Squadron, he was captured and spent the rest of the war in Stalag 8b. In September 2009, aged approximately 89, he returned to Bristol to give the dedication address at the unveiling of the memorial in the park where he had been pulled from the fire 68 years before. Three memorial elements survive. The stone was engraved by local stonemason Michael Blow. As of 2026 the stone is in poor condition and has been subject to graffiti vandalism; its condition warrants monitoring. A stained glass window at a local church was also noted by community member Zeb Sacker. The scar shows the direction the aircraft came in — a mark left on the landscape by the crash itself.

The Friends of St Andrews Park organised the 2009 memorial dedication and remain the memorial's local stewards.

Do you know of any commemorative events or annual services held at this memorial? We would love to hear from local communities who remember.