Just by the perimeter of the old RAF Worcester built on the grounds of Perdiswell airport the worlds first municipal airport, is Bilford Road in late September 1942 the base was a relief landing ground and training site taking in some big aircraft and very well known guests .
DC-3 17736 'Idiots Delight ' took off from RAF Pershore to film part of a USAF training short on Gunnery but the plane developed mechanical issues and had to put down at RAF Worcester , landing too fast on the grass field the plane careered through the fence onto Bilford road and then into the town dumps fence luckily no one was lost but one passenger was injured ,
After the accident the co pilot a Major Clark Gable and the injured
passenger colonel Carl Andrew Spaatz commander of the eight air force
USAAF ,Europe who broke his ankle in the accident were helped to the
base by RAF personnel for a small medicinal one
Colonel Spaatzs only comment on the incident was about not crossing the Atlantic to land in the town's trash tip.
Colonel Spaatzs only comment on the incident was about not crossing the Atlantic to land in the town's trash tip.