Installed Saturday 4th December 2021
179 ERMIN STREET, STRATTON, SWINDION, WILTSHIRE, UK, SN3 4NH
On Sunday 7th December 1941 at about 10:10 am, while children were waiting to go into Sunday school, Canadian spitfire pilot, Sergeant Norman W. Barbeau, R/88806 of the Royal Canadian Air Force, aged 20, crashed his Mark 1a Spitfire X4354 at Ermin Street hitting the willow tree at the junction of Church Street.
His spitfire X4354 of 52.O.T.U had struck a petrol tanker on take off and in flight the port wing became detached causing the aircraft to go down.
The plane was seen to break up before it crashed, and one wing landed in a nearby street just missing resident who had been hanging out her washing. The local bobby P.C. Phillamore did his best to keep local children from getting too close, two boys, Reuben Scarrott and his friend saw the crash. Bill Taylor helped to cover the body with a hessian sack.
Husband to Florence Marguerite Louise Barbeau, of Montreal, Canada, he is buried at Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire.
His spitfire X4354 of 52.O.T.U had struck a petrol tanker on take off and in flight the port wing became detached causing the aircraft to go down.
The plane was seen to break up before it crashed, and one wing landed in a nearby street just missing resident who had been hanging out her washing. The local bobby P.C. Phillamore did his best to keep local children from getting too close, two boys, Reuben Scarrott and his friend saw the crash. Bill Taylor helped to cover the body with a hessian sack.
Husband to Florence Marguerite Louise Barbeau, of Montreal, Canada, he is buried at Holy Trinity, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire.
179 ERMIN STREET, STRATTON, SWINDON, WILTSHIRE, UK, SN3 4NH
