A pilgrimage to Blakehill

​

On Thursday the 8th June 2023, I was honoured to host Douglas Down and his family who were on vacation from Canada and had travelled from London by train for a personal tour of the former airfield. Doug’s father, Russell Seaward Down, was stationed at RAF Blakehill from March 44 to March 45, flying Dakotas, first for 233 Squadron and then 437 Squadron. He was PO, FO then Ft/Lt in the RCAF.  His plane in both Squadrons was mostly Dakota III FZ679 dropping paratroops on D-Day and also flying glider tug duty to Arnhem.

​

To make Doug’s trip extra special, I lined up a visit to the neighbouring 46 group runway at Down Ampney, where we know his father also flew from, before travelling onto the Cricklade museum. After refreshments and a look at the RAF Blakehill archive, we finally visited RAF Blakehill starting with a picnic lunch and a chance to learn about the important work that the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust are doing now that the site is a nature reserve.

 

After a tour of the remaining airfield features, we travelled on to the memorial stones, laying a wreath on behalf of all of the crews of 233 squadron RAF, 437 Squadron RCAF and the GPR, as well as taking a moment to pay our respects to all other personnel, including the nursing orderlies or “Flying Nightingales”, flights of which Doug’s father was involved with, helping to unload the wounded (arrow pictured). My thanks to my dad Paul Povey who made the Blakehill Archive available for the day at the Cricklade Museum, and Pam Debenham Cricklade Museum Chair who made this part of the visit possible. My thanks also go to Nick Self of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust who made us all welcome at the Whitworth building and spoke at length about the trusts work at the former airfield and told us all about the biodiversity of the site, and the importance of preserving the wild meadows for the future.

 

Thanks to Jonathan Clarke also for letting us have access to the farm which sits on the main runway whilst he was busy shearing the Herdwick sheep. Thanks also go to Lottie who let us have access to the private eastern side of the airfield, which was so important, as this is where Russell Seward Down would have driven through the main gate in his car to join his crew, and where his Dakota would have sat with engines running, 79 years and three nights ago, on the 5 June 1944 on operation Tonga.

 

After the wreath laying and as a final highlight, I gave Doug a small piece of the original western dispersal concrete which was uncovered during ploughing a few years ago. His father may once have parked FZ679 on this very surface and I gave it to him wrapped in a tattered remnant of a modern RAF ensign from the nature reserve entrance, which I regularly renew due to the ever-blowing wind here.

 

There wasn’t a dry eye at that moment and it was a fitting reminder of the past being looked after by the present, which really is the very least our generation can do. A very special day indeed.

​

​

​