Taxi Driver Online

Southport cab driver recalls WWI tragedy on town’s shoreline

November 12 2010

It was high tide on the Southport shoreline and five-year-old Anthony Crabtree was looking for shiny shells south of the pier.

Looking to the north, he watched three aircraft glide in low over the sea. Up and over the pier they came – before one suddenly plunged into the water.

All fell silent as the youngster watched the plane sink beneath the waves.

Soon, other people had rushed to the shoreline, as men began to wade out into the sea in a frantic and ultimately unsuccessful rescue attempt.

Later, when tide lowered, the boy could see the top of the plane as a medics removed the dead pilot’s body.

Now 70, taxi driver Tony has never forgotten what he saw that cold March day in 1944.

He said: “The pilot who I had seen crash was based at Woodvale. He was from the 316 Squadron from Poland and was aged 22.

“The Polish pilots came over to England to continue fighting the Nazis and from 1942 many were based at Woodvale.

“They gave two years air cover to the convoys who were bringing supplies to the UK from America.

“What happened that day has always stood so vividly in my memory.”

Flight Sergeant Kowalski died from his injuries after his engine developed trouble in a training sortie.

He is among five other young Polish pilots interred in Formby Cemetery along with two British soldiers and one sailor – all from the Second World War.

Mr Crabtree, a local Conservative activist and former secretary of the North Sefton Hackney Carriage Association, has penned a poem paying tribute to the Fallen:

If only they could awake/Walk away/And see the light of our day.

What would they say?/ And how could we repay/All their lost days?

Source; http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/south ... -27642679/

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

In remembrance to fallen heroes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44RVOYpL_oY

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsOsdGtBBTg

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My heart is heavy, but my consience clear,
I voted Yes, without any fear.

As the son-in-law of the local British Legion President I get a perfect view of the amount of amazing work the Legion do.

And they do it because they are here to do it, whereas many of their friends and colleagues didn't get the chance.

All that aside, seems like we must have sold about a billion poppies this year.

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IDFIMH

This is my dad in italy in WW2 (according to the lettering on the carriage)



This is the SS Sibacheck troopship that took him on the 6 week trip from Greenwich to Durban (and hes a very poor traveller)



(Without t'internet some facts and pictures would not be available!)

and this is me......lol

It makes you wonder.. where all the money goes to.... around here they are selling off the British Legion clubs left right and centre.... but the money goes back into the central account....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Intriguing....

I thought Forest Brown was Brickwoods?

I always remember the fallen, we owe them a massive massive favour.

Yes , to many numpty,s forget and have no respect

Even tilting the glass at that age when pouring

http://ucg-london.co.uk/?p=397

Hope you don't mind me posting this in its own thread. I think it deserves it great story .