A STUNNING plaque dedicated to five war time heroes has been re-instated at the location of the 1943 air crash near Broadway Tower.

The moving ceremony was attended by members of the Royal British Legion, R.A.F.A. and Royal Observer Corps who were joined by many guests for the service conducted by the Rev Barry Collins, Vicar of Bengeworth.

The standard bearer at the ceremony was Ken Holland who saw service at R.A.F. Honeybourne and who has been standard bearer for the Evesham branch of R.A.F.A for 49 years. He was on the beaches in Normandy later in the week along with 48 members of the Evesham RBL for the 65th anniversary of the D.-Day landings, his last official duty before retiring.

Also at the ceremony were members of Brian Kedward’s family, his son Michael and brother Roy. Mr Kedward, who died earlier this year, was instrumental in getting the original brass plaque installed in 1998 and which was stolen in June last year.

Thieves took it from the stone near the Tower just five days after a service was held to remember the crew of the Whitley bomber that crashed there in 1943.

The new plaque, depicting the A.W. Whitley Z6639 along with the names of the crew, was crafted by Gordon England, of Offenham - “a stunning tribute of which Brian would have whole-heartedly approved,” said Michael Barnard.

Thanks were expressed to Annetta Gorton for all her help in making the ceremony such a success.