A MEMORIAL event is being held to remember those who lost their lives during the crash of the Horsa Glider RJ113 in 1944.

The event, organised by the Weston branch of the Royal British Legion, will be held on September 24 at 3pm at Milton Cemetery. It is here, in the War Graves section, that the casualties are buried.

The mayor and mayoress of Weston will be attending to show their respect.

On the morning of Sunday, September 17, 1944, a Short Stirling of 299 Squadron Royal Air Force took off from RAF Keevil in Wiltshire. 

It towed Horsa Glider RJ113, which contained 21 royal engineers of 1 Platoon, 9th (Airborne) Field Company royal engineers and two crew members from The Glider Pilot Regiment.

They took a course north-west towards Gloucester to join up with aircraft from Fairford and then headed out over the Severn and Bristol Channels to form up.

Here, the Stirling and Horsa combination turned south-west down the Bristol Channel and then made a turn east over Weston-Super-Mare and headed for Arnhem. This was part of Operation Market Garden. 

However, at around 11.05am, an explosion occurred on board the Horsa, blowing off the tail section. This happened as they were flying over Farrington Gurney.

The glider soon lost lift and broke its tow line. It crashed in the fields of Double Hills near Paulton.

There were no survivors.

Weston Mercury: There were no survivors.There were no survivors. (Image: Royal British Legion, Weston branch)

Sgt Wally Simpson MM, the rear gunner of the Stirling, witnessed the crash. The Weston branch of the Royal British Legion details his account: “We left the formation and gradually lost height and turned back to locate the wreckage.

"Noting the spot, we returned to Keevil and then drove by jeep to the crash location. I described it at the time as being ‘like a matchbox that had been stepped on’.

"The bodies of the men had remained inside. I had no way of estimating how many dead there were. There were no survivors.”

All 23 of the bodies were recovered and buried in Milton Cemetery. 

In 1979 a memorial was erected near to the crash site and was unveiled by Roy Urquart who commanded the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem.

An annual commemoration has been held there ever since.