Derrick Holt has vivid memories of the day a wartime bomber crashed in North Oxford.

He and a friend, Gordon Carter, were walking beside the River Cherwell when they saw a Whitley aircraft circling.

Mr Holt, of Fortnam Close, Headington, writes: "I remember being distracted by it, not that this was particularly unusual - during the war, the hum of aircraft was almost continuous - but because this aircraft was fairly low. As it flew towards us from the direction of New Marston, the engines gave off four puffs of smoke, before it dived directly at us.

"Fortunately, it started to flatten out and flew overhead before hitting the far bank of the Cherwell, sliding up Linton Road and exploding in a ball of black smoke, followed by the crackle of exploding ammunition.

"There was nothing we could do so, in the end, we left. Many years later, I had a phone call from Gordon asking if I had seen a letter in the Oxford Mail, or maybe The Oxford Times, recalling the incident. I said: You still remember it, then?' "His reply was: Remember it? Two seconds earlier, we'd have been under it!'"

As we recalled (Memory Lane, May 31, 2004), the aircraft was a Whitley 5, from 10 Operational Training Unit at Abingdon.

It crashed into the front garden of 31 Linton Road, the home of Mrs CM Mullahy, on May 4, 1941 while on an "unauthorised low flight over a populated area" and probably crashed due to engine failure.

The Oxford Mail reported: "Just before it reached the ground, the plane was seen to be in difficulties by people in many parts of the neighbourhood.

"The sound of the crash was heard all over North Oxford."

The crash claimed four lives - resident Frances Hitchcox and the three crew, Pilot Officer CN Small, Pilot Officer AM Halley and Sgt JA Mocham.

Four other residents who helped Oxford City Fire Brigade fight the fire and rescue furniture from the house were injured and taken to the Radcliffe Infirmary.