A PILOT from Leamington who lost his life in the famous ‘Dambusters’ mission is to be honoured with a blue plaque in his home town.
Henry Maudslay was an RAF pilot who flew in Operation Chastise, on May 16, 1943, a mission to blow up the dams in the industrial Ruhr valley, which became immortalised as the ‘Dambuster raid’ when the targets were destroyed using the bouncing bomb devised by Barnes Wallis.
During the raid, Henry’s Lancaster aircraft was damaged and later brought down by anti-aircraft fire.
Henry was just 21 years-old, and his crew were among 53 airmen who died in the raid.
Mayor Caroline Evetts and nieces of Henry will unveil a plaque at his birth place in Vicarage Road in Lillington on Thursday.
On the same day another blue plaque will be unveiled to architect John Cundall – who left his mark on Leamington.
John was born in Regent Street in 1830. After being articled locally to David Squirhill his architectural career took him to London where he worked for Pugin and Murray and briefly for Sir George Scott, the architect of the Midland Hotel at St Pancras.
He returned to the midlands working with a partner in Coventry and then set up a practice in his home town.
He designed many buildings in Leamington including the Town Hall, St Paul’s Church in Leicester Street, St John the Baptist Church in Tachbrook Street and St Alban’s Church in Warwick Street, the latter of which was demolished in 1968.
He also designed the Hitchman Fountain in Jephson Gardens.
His great-great grandson will unveil the plaque at John’s former residence on Warwick Street.
The latest plaques take the total put up by Leamington Blue Plaque Group to 29. An informative leaflet detailing two separate walks around the locations is available from the Visitor Information Centre in the Pump Rooms.
Visit www.leamingtonhistory.co.uk for more details accounts of the lives of both Henry Maudsley and John Cundall.
