Young Cadets lay wreath to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the loss of Leamington pilot

Young Cadets have laid a wreath to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the loss of a Leamington pilot.

Cadets from 1368 (Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa) Air Cadet Squadron marked the 80th Anniversary of the death of Sqn Ldr Eric Maudslay - a 21-year-old pilot of a Lancaster bomber shot down during Operation Chastise (commonly known as the Dambusters raid) in 1943 - by placing the wreath at a church parade at All Saints Church in Sherbourne on Sunday May 14.

When 1368 Squadron were approach by an ex-officer of the Air Training Corps, Flt Lt Gill James VR(T), to lay a Wreath, Fg Off Chadburn RAFAC, Officer Commanding 1368 Sqn, felt it was fitting for the young cadets of Warwick and Royal Leamington Squadron to be involved.

Gill has been commemorating the sacrifice the downed pilot and aircrew by laying flowers for the last 20 years, initially with the cadets of her own cadet squadron. Of the 19 Lancaster bombers who took part in Operation Chastise, nine did not return.

A plaque in Sherbourne Church reads "TO THE GLORIOUS MEMORY OF HENRY ERIC MAUDSLAY DFC, SQUADRON LEADER RAFVR KILLED IN THE ATTACK ON THE MOHNE DAM 16TH - 17TH MAY 1943 AGED 21 YEARS" on the wall to the left of the organ, commemorates a young man who was the youngest Squadron Leader in the Dambusters born in Leamington on July 21, 1921. After the attack on the Dams, Maudslay's plane was shot down close to the Dutch Border at 2.34am and burst into flames with the loss of all the crew.