Wellington Aviation - Tailend Charlie

A remarkable twist of fate led to a former Moreton-in-Marsh RAF pilot coming face-to-face with his death-defying past.

Ex-rear gunner Sgt Stephen Baverstock, 84, of Kent, stumbled across the Wellington Aviation Museum, Moreton, by pure chance while on holiday with his family in Broadway.

And a casual chat with the museum founder Gerry Tyack eventually saw the former flier meeting up with the woman who had saved his life 58 years ago.

On the night of October 24 1941, Mr Baverstock was occupying the 'tail-end Charlie' rear gunner's position in a Vickers Wellington which took off from RAF Edgehill, Shenington, a satellite airfield of the parent unit in Moreton, only a few miles away. His B flight had only arrived two days before.

The five-man crew was on a mission to carry out night circuits and landings. But shortly after take-off the aircraft stalled at around 400ft and crashed at Lower Brailes, Warwickshire. Mr Baverstock was the only survivor.

Red Cross auxiliary nurse Priscilla Righton came to his rescue with other villagers.

He recalled: "The aircraft was in trouble and we were going to land in the field and I heard the Skip shouting 'mind the tree', but we went into it.
"As we crashed, my face smashed into the gun-sight in front of me and I broke my jaw. I don't know how they got me out. Presumably I was semi-conscious and the gun turret was quite high up.
"I vaguely heard voices and they got me on the grass. Then I heard the aircraft exploding.
"I spent nine months in hospital and had various operations. I was lucky not to lose my eyes.
"I then returned to 'tail-end Charlie' duties before flying to India to operate Wellingtons against the Japanese in Burma."

At the Moreton-in-Marsh museum Mr Baverstock discovered a report of his horrific accident in author Eric Kaye's book 'The Story of Edgehill.'

Mr Tyack said: "One of Steve's family said she wished they could find the lady who helped him get out of the aircraft.
"He had already left but I contacted Eric Kaye, who lives near Edgehill, and we found Priscilla Righton was still alive.
"Lo and behold, Steve walked in the next day and I managed to set up a wonderful reunion."

Mr Baverstock said: "To have the opportunity 58 years later to meet someone who had helped in my rescue and to be able to say thank you was beyond my wildest dreams.
"We were also joined by Mrs Righton's son, Chris, now farming the land where we crashed, and he took me to visit the sight. It was a never-to-be-forgotten return"

Lena Baverstock, Priscilla Righton, Stephen Baverstock and Pauline Bale outside Mrs Righton's cottage at Lower Brailes, Warwickshire.

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