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SOUTHWICK’S MIRACULOUS ESCAPE The day a Valiant jet crashed- A new Southwick Society Exhibition SATURDAY mornings MAY 28TH TO JULY 9TH 10.30 to 12.30 66 years ago, at lunch time on 11 May 1956, Southwick suffered a tragedy of the Cold War when an RAF Valiant bomber crashed on the railway line just south of Croft Avenue.
Tragic though it was, the crash could have been a major catastrophe. If the aircraft had crashed a little to the north it could have obliterated Manor Hall Road Junior Boys School and adjacent houses. A little to the east or west it would have crashed on to houses and just to the south there were more houses and the busy harbour where the new Brighton B power station and major port installations were under construction; many people could have
been killed or injured.
Southwick had had a miraculous escape. Sadly of the crew, the pilot, navigator and a civilian engineer were killed. Only the co-pilot was able to eject, he landed near the railway station and survived. What was a Valiant bomber doing over Southwick and why did it crash?
The Southwick Society are holding a major new exhibition in the Manor Cottage Heritage Centre, Southwick Street, about the crash.
Using the official accident investigation reports, newspaper articles and eyewitness accounts they have put together a record of what happened to an almost new Valiant bomber on Friday 11th May 1956 and how it affected the local people and community. The exhibition is accompanied by two books about the incident, Southwick’s Miraculous Escape by Mary Candy and Those Valiant Men by John Young.
For further information visit southwicksociety.org
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