This week marks the 82nd anniversary of the loss of Royal Air Force Albemarle V1782, which crashed near the Oxfordshire village of Black Bourton on 27 August 1944, killing all five members of its crew.
The Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle, operated by No. 297 Squadron RAF from nearby RAF Brize Norton, was returning to base following an operational mission when tragedy struck. During the attempted landing, the aircraft overshot the runway and crashed in a field at Mill Farm, near Black Bourton. The aircraft was destroyed and all five airmen on board were killed.
The men who lost their lives were:
- Flight Sergeant Alan Henry Busbridge
- Flight Sergeant Bernard Vincent Mowan
- Flight Sergeant William Frederick Insley
- Sergeant Kenneth James Shay
- Sergeant Edgar Frederick Bonser
The crew had been involved in wartime flying from RAF Brize Norton, including operations connected with the Allied airborne campaign and missions supporting resistance forces in occupied France.
Today, the site at Mill Farm is marked by a memorial cairn commemorating the five airmen. Acts of remembrance have been held at the site on successive anniversaries, with RAF personnel, veterans’ organisations, relatives and members of the local community paying their respects.
Representing RAF Brize Norton, Wing Commander Steve Jones said:
“It was a privilege to represent RAF Brize Norton at today’s Albemarle Commemoration. We gather not only to remember those who served and sacrificed, but also to honour the enduring bond between the RAF and the communities that support us. Their courage, commitment and sense of duty remain an inspiration to us all, and it is fitting that we come together to ensure their legacy is never forgotten.”
Wing Commander Steve Jones
Royal Air Force Brize Norton
More than eight decades later, the memorial at Black Bourton remains a tangible reminder of the human cost of the Second World War and of the young airmen who served from RAF Brize Norton.
Title Image: An Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle of either No. 296 or 297 Squadron taking off from Royal Air Force Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, with an Airspeed Horsa Mark I glider in tow. UK Crown Copyright / MOD. Courtesy of the Royal Air Force Air Historical Branch.
