B17 Flying Fortress Sunrise Serenader Memorial Stand

B17 Flying Fortress

"Sunrise Serenader" Memorial Stand

 Street Furnishings Limited were selected to design and supply the memorial to the crew of the B17 Flying Fortress ‘Sunrise Serenader’ which crashed in Wargrave, close to our premises, on 13^th November 1943.

 9 of the 10 crew were lost when the bomber broke up in mid-air over Shiplake Meadows, the only survivor being Radio Operator T/Sgt Alan B Purdy who parachuted out of the broken fuselage after the tail section broke away. The explosion and crash on 13 November 1943 was witnessed by Jim Waldron from Wargrave and Mary Burge from Shiplake.
Mr Waldron, now 84, said: "It was on a Saturday, I was in the back bedroom and we heard this engine noise but didn't think anything of it.
"Then suddenly there were these loud crashes and bangs - two of the bombs had crashed into River Thames.
"I saw the plane heading towards Henley and then transform into a rolling ball of fire.

"Then the burning aircraft broke in half."

The memorial plaque, designed by Mr Waldron & Street Furnishings. The plaque shows the flight path of the crashing plane over Shiplake and Wargrave, where the bombs were jettisoned, where bits of the plane fell, where the survivor landed and where the nine died.

Maidenhead MP Theresa May unveiled the memorial with eyewitnesses Jim Waldron from Wargrave and Mary Burge from Shiplake

The Memorial has been unveiled by the Rt Hon Theresa May M.P. in the presence of Brig. General Dieter Bareihs, U.S. Defence Attaché on 13^th November 2014, 71 years after the crash and will be covered by regional Television, Radio and Press.

General Dieter Bareihs US Defence Attaché with MSgt Donald Grindstaff saluted the memorial.

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