Tributes to campaigner who fought for Horndean memorial | Nostalgia
No doubt many of you who live in the Horndean area have seen the memorial to the two Australian airmen who died when their plane, a Mosquito, crashed east of the village on February 4, 1945, while returning to Thorney Island.
The two who died were Pilot Officer Edward George ‘Ted’ Wicky DFC, from Cremorne, New South Wales aged 22 and Navigator/Observer Officer Oswald ‘Billy’ Mountford DFC, from Guildford, New South Wales. Both were based at the Thorney Island base, near Emsworth.
In 2000 some locals who had lived in Horndean since their childhood and others now living away started the 1940s’ Horndean Children’s Group. They began meetings in the clubroom at Horndean Football Club.
One of the members, the late Maureen Baldwin, mentioned the crash and suggested something should be done to remember the Royal Australian Air Force crew.
Along with Eddie Harmer and Peter Barge, plus three members of a sub-committee, they started raising funds for a memorial. They were later joined by Graham Parsons whose knowledge of fundraising assisted the others greatly.
Peter Barge, who died last month, was born in Horndean in March 1933. His father was the local bobby and was well known to everyone. They lived in a house on Havant Road.
On leaving school Peter joined the dockyard and when national service called he joined the RAF. He served for two years before rejoining the dockyard. Qualifying as a shipwright he later became a foreman and finished his working life in the MoD building on top of Portsdown Hill.
Peter was made an MBE for his many years in the civil service. He had moved to Westbourne but still kept in touch with the community he grew up with.
He was always held in high esteem and Eddie Harmer could not praise him enough for his work getting the memorial built after many rejections from various councils. Someone told the committee they could have some land in Five Heads Road and there was more letter-writing.
It was finally unveiled last February with many dignitaries attending as well as members of the airmen’s families who came from Australia.
The memorial is not yet complete as there is landscaping to be done and trees planted. A bench dedicated to Peter and Maureen will then be installed.
Peter was a member of Havant and Emsworth museums and contributed to local magazines. He was born on March 3, 1933, and died on May 6, 2020. He leaves wife Sue and a son and daughter.