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Friday, May 11, 2018
A city tragedy remembered BY KELLY WICKHAM kelly.wickham@sussexpost.co.uk THE TANGMERE Military Aviation Museum is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Dambusters next week but there is a tragic story among the crew. Frederick Tees was born in Chichester in 1922 and was shot down in the famous Dambuster raids in May, 1943, the only survivor of his crew. He joined the RAF in 1941 and was selected for gunner training the following year. Although he flew in the rear or midupper turret, the specially adapted Dams raid Lancasters had no mid-upper turret and on Monday, May 17, Tees was in the rear - a decision which saved his life. As the plane neared Hamm, a commotion occurred and the plane, AJ-C "Charlie" had been hit on the port side. His turret was immobilised and he heard a member of the crew say: "I'm sorry boys, we've had it." Tees decided there was no future in bailing out with three engines on fire. He regained consciousness some minutes later and found his turret had been blown clear of the wreckage. He was badly burned, quickly captured by the Germans, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. It was known that Tees had survived for several months and his family were not notified he was missing in action. Almost a year later, on May 11, 1944 Tees' mother, Elizabeth, was tragically killed
when a USAAF B24 Liberator crashed on the laundry in The Hornet in Chichester where she worked. The plane had been damaged on a bombing operation over France and the pilot set course to crash it into the English Channel once the crew baled out. Unfortunately, the aircraft veered off this course and crashed on land, killing three civilians. Some reports claim that Mrs Tees had defied orders and returned to the burning building to retrieve her handbag. Details of the occurrence say: "At 15:55 hrs, and American Liberator crashed on the allotments south of Kenneth Long's Timber yard. There were five 1000lb bombs on board of which two exploded scattering parts of the aircraft over a wide area." Mrs Tees, aged 58, died of her injuries in hospital on the Sunday after the event Tragically, Frederick Tees did not learn of his mother's death until he was released as a PoW in 1945. Tees was cremated in England and his last wish was for his ashes to be scattered on the graves of his fallen comrades in Reichswald Forest war cemetery. The Dambusters exhibition at the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum can be found in the Middle Hall. A print of a painting by local artist, Tony Sargeant, is on display and depicts three of the No 617 Squadron’s (the ‘Dambusters’) Lancaster bombers. For more information visit: tangmeremuseum.org.uk
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Support for ice called residents have THOUSANDS of rink in Bognor Regis. ice for a permanent want the attraction THey have said they the regeneration in to be included compiled by Arun schemes being the town. for was District Council their demand A petition with council on Wednesday presented to the Regis Civic Society’s night by Bognor Hugh Coster. deputy chairman, of the 2,479 THe formal submission
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continue to experience MOTORISTS will the A27 as work on the long delays along is set to continue Stockbridge footbridge
for more weeks. were set up while Traffic lights is replaced, allowing the the footbridge the road while pedestrians to cross
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used walkway can be to to ensure that the safely. We still expectthis comfortably and soon as conditions. to allow a certain open the new footbridge as “All bridges need movement to work is complete.” We amount of controlled traffic lights were of the structure. When the temporaryHighways England protect the integrity solutions that installed originally, area to assess them built are looking at engineering allow safe and replacement was spokesperson called to the this movement to over the were number of complaints were made A Highways England to opening the reduce use of the walkway after a forward said: “We look and we comfortable regarding safety. footbridge soon bridge. new Stockbridge not an issue with delay. “THere is absolutely of the bridge - this Turn to page three are sorry for the routine testing we integrity adjustments the the structural "During our completing final that could cause identified an issue certain is about unacceptably in walkway to move
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is closed. current footbridge across the the THe former footbridge remain closed until A27 was due to and opened.
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a nuisance. We don't want the government to think we are tired of the situation." Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) was formed in protest at the rapid increases in the state pension age for women to 66. The bus tour also took in the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street before it ended with the protest at the DWP. The mock ticket was handed to a civil servant for Guy Opperman, under-secretary of state for work and pensions. The two-and-a-half hour tour also involved the Back to 60 and 63 Is The New 60 protest groups. Bognor Regisbased Radio Respect broadcast the tour live on the internet.
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PENSION campaigners from Bognor Regis and Chichester staged a special bus ride to the government to accuse it of creating a one-way ticket to poverty. The 49 passengers on board the 1950s Routemaster double-decker handed in a giant bus ticket to the Department for Work and Pensions to protest at making women wait longer for the state pension. The stunt on Tuesday was the idea of Bognor, Chichester and South Coast Waspi member Angie Taylor. Angie, who lives in Bognor Regis, said: "We wanted to put our heads above the parapet to show the government that we are still here and are not going away. "It's all about continuing to be
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committee his petition to the to confirm but hand over Fulton) and signatures or more, manager (Jane setting out easily had 5,000 necessary. council will respond within that simply wasn’t to achieve was that that the deal with this petition “All we wanted the matter positively how it will days of this meeting.” ten working Arun should debate civic society launched As reported, the It stated: “In and sensibly.” Cllr Jacky Pendleton, its petition in February. success of the Arun’s chairman, has been the full council. Mr Coster said: told the meeting: “A petition Society view of the tremendous ice rink, we, the a Civic Outside the meeting, petition after just in received from Bognor Regis ice rink for Christmas temporary Arun District “We closed the a permanent undersigned, petition the signatures came See page five month because passed requesting 1,500 target was to Bognor Regis. so fast that our invite Mr Coster it. “I’m going to before we knew we would have “If we had continued,
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