Sgt. James Brian Egan
Royal Air Force 12 OTU.
(d.18th Apr 1945)
I was talking to my mother, Edna Harris about her war experiences during the anniversary of the end of world war two. She told me about the time she spent working at Park Farm Bishopsteignton Devon. One day she said she was in the top field working horses and could see a German plane staffing a passenger train on the Teign estuary, the plane then turned towards her , she drove the horses under the trees and froze she clearly saw the pilots face and swastika as the plane turned over the farm. Her brother Edward Perkin working in the lower field jumped into a scrub full of stinging nettles. (Edward later served in the RAF as a ground engineer) The raider then carried out the next attack dropped its bomb and missed. The enemy plane was shot down by anti aircraft fire over Torbay. The pilot was seen to parachute into the sea . By coincidence Edna's sister Sylvia was coming home on leave from nursing duties, and waiting for a connection at Exeter St Davids saw the train come in to the station many carriages all shot up. I don't know of casualties. I work as a Train Driver based at Exeter I often drive between Teignmouth and Newton Abbot luckily no enemy aircraft over head but I picture the scene everytime I run the route.
Mum went on to say her saddest memories are of the deaths of three relatives: Harold Vivian Perkin Hms Heckla 1942 Cape Agulas, Arthur Ernest Steel 1944 North Western Europe and James Brian Egan 1945 Chipping Warden. I realised the family had lost someone from each of the three services. Having served in the RAF from 1978 to 2000 I was interested to find out more about James Egan my mum's first cousin who used his second name Brian. Before the war mum said Brain would come down on holiday and they would often go rowing on the river Teign. She can remember how Brain would stroke on the oars and fly forward in the boat because he had not immersed them sufficiently enough into the water to get some resistance and would end up on his back with his feet in the air and the ores adrift much to the annoyance of Edward.
Sgt James Brian Egan.
Mum attended Brians funeral just before the war ended, an extremely sad day. Brian joined the RAF in the later stages of the war. He was training as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner. During a training sortie 18 April 1945 on Wellington Bomber mk x LP286 the plane returned to Chipping warden following engine problems. Following an overshoot and go around the plane stalled and crashed at 14.03 into Egcote park south east of the airfield killing all but one.
- Flight Sergeant WJ Hillier -Pilot
- Sergeant H Mairs -navigator
- Sergeant AG Grant- Air Bomber
- Sergeant JB Egan - Wireless Operator
- Sergeant P McGowen- Air gunner
- Sergeant PV Birch- Air gunner (only survivor)
The crew were all aged early to mid twenties and remembered with honour.
Sgt Grant.
Via the web administrator at www. aviationresearch.co.uk I made contact with a gentleman who witnessed the crash of LP 286. At the time he was a primary school boy at Chipping Warden and recalls the plane flying over with smoke trailing from the starboard engine. Following the crash the children were sent home, the crash site was near to the school boys path home. The gentleman remembers the excitement of planes flying, and at the time as a small child having no awareness to the true horror of the crash.
I understand that LP286 was the last major incident at Chipping warden. I intend to try and make contact with the only survivor Sgt Birch or any relatives of him and that of the other crew members. Ultimately to place a memorial plaque at the crash site. Anyone with further information please get in touch.
