Representatives from Biggleswade Town Council, the Biggleswade History Society, the Biggleswade Branch of the Royal British Legion, and the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Susan Lousada, joined members of the public on Thursday, 16th January, for the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the 80th anniversary of Lt. Vance C. Harney, a former USAF pilot.
Councillor Jonathan Woodhead, Chairman of the Town Centre Management Committee, delivered a brief introductory speech, warmly welcoming the honoured guest, Captain Danny Shields, from the USAF 423 Force Support Squadron at RAF Alconbury near Huntingdon. Cllr Woodhead remarked on how special it was to have a serving member of the United States Air Force present for the occasion.
The ceremony marked 80 years to the day since Lieutenant Vance Harney’s Mustang aircraft was seen flying over Biggleswade. Eyewitnesses at the time reported spotting “a bright red glow, about a foot long” emanating from the rear of the plane shortly before it crashed in King’s Field, a part of the farmland where Eagle Farm Road now stands. Lt. Harney was laid to rest at the American Cemetery in Madingley near Cambridge but was later repatriated in 1948 to his hometown of Rockville in Parke County, Indiana, where he remains interred.
Cllr Woodhead emphasised the importance of the commemoration, stating, “It is right and proper that we honour Second Lieutenant Harney’s bravery today, as well as all those who served in the Allied Forces during the Second World War and gave their lives for liberty and freedom from oppression.”
Reverend Liz Oglesby-Elong led the commemorative service, during which L.L. Susan Lousada delivered a reading. Two members of the Biggleswade Sea Cadets performed both Taps—the poignant U.S. bugle call traditionally sounded to signify “lights out” or to honour fallen soldiers—and Reveille using their bugles.
The Lord Lieutenant and Captain Shields then unveiled the memorial plaque, after which the national anthems of both the United States and the United Kingdom were played, bringing the ceremony to a fitting and respectful conclusion.
