Warbird Information Exchange

Bills funeral is today and will be marked by a flypast by Sywell based T-6G G-DDMV many thanks to all at Warbird Experiences.

RIP Bill.

Ben




From the Evening Telegraph:

A man who was the inspiration behind a lasting tribute to American servicemen stationed in the county during the Second World War has died.
Amateur historian William Donald, of Harborough Road, Rushden, wrote John Burn One-Zero-Five - the Story of Chelveston Airfield and the 305th Bomb Group, and was the inspiration behind the project to erect a memorial in Chelveston to the 700 Americans based there who died during the war.

Mr Donald, 61, known as Billy, died of cancer on Saturday, May 3.

Son Ian said: "Dad had a general interest in the airfield and began to write to veterans asking for their stories.

"He felt each of the servicemen had a story to tell and it was important to him that other people heard those stories.

"He also played a role in designing and planning the war memorial and he was very proud when it was finally completed."

Chelveston-cum-Caldecott Parish Council chairman Adrian Dale worked with Mr Donald on the war memorial.

He said: "Billy was the inspiration behind the memorial. He presented the original sketches for it about 10 years ago and in his modest manner asked the parish council if it thought the memorial was a good idea.

"Everyone who knew him was very sad to learn he was ill. The memorial is like his epitaph and is a great achievement.

"Every time I pass it I will remember Billy, as well as the servicemen, because he did so much to keep their memories alive."

Mr Donald was born in Stonehaven in Scotland but moved to Northamptonshire.

He worked for Timpson shoe factory in Kettering and then at the steelworks in Corby before moving to Higham Ferrers in 1975 to be near his work at the Harris tannery.

He later became a handyman and gardener and worked at various nursing homes in Irchester, Rushden and Raunds.

The funeral will be held at St John's Church, Chelveston, at 2pm today.

There will be family flowers only but donations in his memory can be sent to Cats Protection care of A Abbott and Sons, Independent Family Funeral Directors, Bedford Road, Rushden.

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Life's a Beech and an Armed T-6

I cross-posted this thread to the USAAF website forums- there was a thread there about him, and it added nicely.

Robbie

Many thanks Robbie

I just returned from the funeral. Lone piper playing and a slow roll by the US-marked T-6 in a old English country church, close to the airfield.

A superb mark of respect.

TT

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Life's a Beech and an Armed T-6