During the World Wars plane crashes either through fighting or mechanical faults in Dorset was not uncommon, one such crash site is near Blandford St Mary in the woodland and is marked by a stone memorial.
This memorial is dedicated to Pilot officer John Frederick Woodward Allen and marks the spot where the tree he hit while piloting a spitfire fighter plane once stood. This tree had a small plaque commemorating him placed by captain Gerald Portman who witnessed the plane coming down, however the tree rotted and died and had to be removed. The new memorial was placed by the Blandford branch of the Royal Air Force Association in 1977.
Born in 1921 PO Allen was 19 years old and a member of No.152 Squadron based at RAF Warmwell 5 miles from Dorchester. On the 29th of November 1940 he was scrambled at 1154hrs due to an alert of a suspected enemy scout/fighter plane the patrol climbed to 25,000ft and headed north towards Blandford.
He was flying Spitfire IR6907 fresh from the factory on the 9th of July 1940 and handed to 152 Squadron on the 19th of August. Shortly after reaching Blandford airspace PO Allen sent out an intelligible message to the rest of the other members of the flight. His craft drifted out of formation then suddenly dived vertically towards the ground accelerating at high speed. The spitfire struck the ground so violently that is was completely destroyed.
Due to the destruction of the spitfire there was no way tell is it was a mechanical fault, one of the most likely causes was PO Allen fainting from lack of oxygen. His funeral was held on the 4th of December and his ashes where then scattered from a bomber over the country side while being escorted by a flight from 152 squadron. The official Common Wealth War Grave for him is in the Weymouth crematorium on a memorial plaque.
The memorial also has the ashes of PO Allen's parents Mary and Henry Allen interred at the spot as well as plaques dedicated to them.
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On the sunday 29th of November 2020 Members of the Branch Laid a poppy cross wreath led by the Chairman Mr Terry Clarkson along with Secratary Bryan Kelly
