New memorial to Rotherham vampire jet crash victim

The memorial to Rotherham-born Midshipman Ian Ferguson Wilson, whose Vampire jet crashed in March 1959, has been moved from the accident scene, a private garden in Parkgate, to the new memorial garden at St Mary’s Church in Rawmarsh.

Members of Ian's family will be joined by representatives of the Rotherham Air Training Corps, the Royal Air Force, the Fleet Air Arm for a rededication service at the memorial garden next Friday.

Officers from RAF Linton on Ouse, from where Ian took off on his doomed final flight, are also expected to attend.

Ian, who was 19 years old at the time of the crash, was on a routine training flight in the area, when his aircraft apparently developed technical problems.

In trying to land the aircraft safely and avoid civilian casualties, Ian was killed when it crashed at a site just off Occupation Road in Parkgate.

A memorial to Ian was erected by his family at the site of the crash but had become in need of restoration in recent years.

With the help of Rotherham Borough Council, the local branch of the Royal Air Force Association and the British Legion, the memorial was moved to to Rawmarsh's Second World War Memorial Garden, which commemorates 70 men who gave their lives during the war and has been restored as part of a £40,000 project.

Rawmarsh councillor Shaun Wright said: "Having completed the renovation of the First World War memorial last year we wanted to ensure that the Second World War memorial garden was also restored.

“The introduction of the memorial to Ian Wilson is very fitting given his local connections and the story of his bravery.”