Colborough Hill, situated to the south of Salisbury Arms, Halstead, was the site of a crash of a Wellington bomber in 1941. The aircraft, which was on a mission from RAF Newton in Nottinghamshire to Boulogne crashed around 04:45 on 28 May 1941 on its return. It was emerging from the low cloud base. On impact the Wellington broke into two sections.
The following were on board:
| Rank | Position | Name | Personal ID | Age | Destiny | Burial Place | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergeant | Pilot | Vernon Douglas Huggett | 745281 | 23 | Killed | Southend-on-Sea (Sutton Road) Cemetery, Plot H Grave 14438 | Son of Mr and Mrs Huggett (nee Iron) of Essex. Married Kathleen E Burrells in 1940 in Southend. |
| Sergeant | Pilot | Vernon Edward Pereira | 1251844 | 19 | Killed | Rougham St. Mary churchyard, Suffolk | Son of Maj. Frederick Vernon Cowper Pereira, The Suffolk Regt., and Margaret Challis Pereira, of Bury St. Edmunds. |
| Sergeant | Observer | Peter Jarvis | 759159 | 20 | Killed | Hatfield Road Cemetery, St. Albans | Son of Capt. Cecil James Jarvis and Beatrice Ethel Jarvis, of St. Albans. |
| Flight Sergeant | Ernest Burton Wilcox | 625946 | 23 | Killed | Burwell Cemetery, Cambridgeshire Section C Grace 117 | Son of William Cossack Wilcox and Sarah Elizabeth Hardwick Wilcox, of Clapham, London. | |
| Sergeant | Air Gunner | Michael Edward Gardiner | 968317 | 19 | Killed | Cottesmore St. Nicholas Churchyard Extension | Son of Douglas Iven Gardiner and Constance Joan Persis Gardiner, of Peermade, Travancore, India. |
| Warrant Officer | Air Gunner | Lewis Edmunds | 621557 | 29 | Injured - Broke Back | Consett Blackhill and Blackhill Old Cemetery Section 13 Grave 32 | Son of Robert and Jane Edmunds, of Blackhill; husband of Georgina Edmunds, of Consett. Awarded DFM (Distinguished Flying Medal) in 1943. He died from Polio 31 Jul 1943. See bio from Hilary Ramshaw, daughter |
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