On the afternoon of Saturday, May 15, 1943, two Sea Hurricanes from RNAS Yeovilton were performing low-flying training manoeuvres over Downside School grounds. During a cricket match, the second aircraft dropped to an exceptionally low altitude. While attempting to climb over tall fir trees bordering the pitch, the plane clipped the trees and nosedived into a grass bank. The burning wreckage ricocheted and crashed into a crowd of boys who were gathered on the embankment to watch the match. The pilot, Sub-Lieutenant Alan McCracken and eight boys died instantly. A ninth pupil succumbed to his injuries a few days later. More than a dozen others were injured.
The whole school gathered together on 15 May at 15.15 at our cricket pavilion to remember the fallen.
We would like to thank the pilots who conducted the Fly Past from a Navy Wings Chipmonk (the historic flight of the Fleet Air Arm based at RNAS Yeovilton) over the cricket grounds.