Plane crash in Gold Street ,Northampton,14th / 15th July 1941

My father Ernest Gross had been on duty that night fire watching from the roof of Cleaver's building in Wood St (now demolished as part of Grosvenor Centre site). He was cycling home along George Row when he saw the Stirling coming towards him up Gold Street. He tried to get in to Bridge Street but was hit before he could get there. He suffered a broken leg and fractured skull and was off work for 6 months. He was later involved in the building of Silverstone airfield for the Americans. Many years later (in the 1970s I think) he met one of the crew who had bailed out from the Stirling. I think it was the navigator but cannot be sure.
The incident is mentioned in a number of books about Northampton and the County during the War, and virtually all accounts state that the only casualty of the crash was an off duty policeman. This is not correct as he was a master carpenter and was a volunteer fire watcher.

 

If one walks up Gold Street towards All Saints' Church in Northampton it appears normal enough, like any other main street around the town centre. There is nothing to make you suddenly stop and ask yourself "What is that and how did it happen ?". As you approach the Grand Hotel, look up at the window sills and the brickwork and you will notice slight damage and chipping. Was it caused by a careless builder or clumsy scaffolders? No, my friends, this was caused by a Short Stirling Mk 1 bomber aircraft of the Royal Air Force. JULY 14th / 15th, 1941. R.A.F. OAKINGTON, CAMBS. No. 7 SQUADRON. STIRLING Mk 1 N6033.


https://harringtonmuseum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DropZone-Volume-3-Issue-1-June-2005.pdf

 

Referenced here...

No. 7 Bomber Squadron RAF in World War II

(Unconnected - other than I was looking up various different references to Sergeants (either) Madgewick and Madgwick) - as there was an ex-24th Lancer SSM / Sergeant Madgewick during the early days of the 24th Lancers who left them at some point prior to D-Day, and went elsewhere).

24th Lancers - Roll of Honour