Jason MoorePalma23/02/2019 18:31
TW

Sometimes it takes courage to watch the news headlines on Breakfast TV because there is just so much bad news about at the moment; and that is coming from a newspaper man. But I was rather struck by a lovely story on BBC Breakfast yesterday which certainly raised my spirits; it was a tribute to Tony Foulds, who narrowly escaped death as a child when a US air force bomber crashed into woodland in Sheffield during the Second World War. The plane had been badly damaged during a mission over Norway. The pilot managed to nurse the aircraft back to England; it was circling the park area where a young Tony Foulds was playing with his five friends. The pilot, to avoid the children, brought the aircraft down in some woodland. The ten crew all died.

Ever since Tony Foulds has been caring and maintaining the memorial in the park to the ten crew of the US bomber. He told the BBC yesterday that he owed his life to the pilot and crew who sacrificed their lives to save the children playing in the park. Tony was joined by the relatives of the crew and together they watched a fly past by US and RAF aircraft to remember the crash and this unique act of bravery. It is a lovely story at a time when such acts of dedication are few and far between in our modern society. It is also a timely reminder that the sacrifices of so many young men and women during the Second World War should never be forgotten.