Ceremony in tribute to WWI hero Thomas
THE statue of a Widnes pilot awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for saving the life of his observer will be officially unveiled this Sunday.
The ceremony paying tribute to Sergeant Thomas Mottershead of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) will begin at 10am.
A parade will be led by Colin Burgess and will include the 310 Squadron (Widnes) Air Cadets, the band of the 146 (Northwich) Air Cadets, the Liverpool University Air Squadron with arms and swords, banners and Standards, veterans, and Army Reserves.
There will be a few short speeches followed by the unveiling itself at around 11am done by the Widnes airman’s grandson Colin Mottershead and Air Marshal Sir Roger Austin.
Sgt Mottershead was born on Vine Street and served as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in the RFC, the forerunner of the Royal Air Force (RAF).
His plane was ignited by German fire over the Western Front in January 1917, but he saved the life of his observer by landing behind British lines.
He later died from his injuries and was buried in France.
Sgt Mottershead was awarded the VC posthumously, with his wife being presented with her late husband’s medal by King George V in London in June 1917.
A commemorative stone was unveiled in Victoria Park last year and there is also a plaque at his birthplace on Vine Street.
Tony Miller, founder and secretary of the appeal behind the statue, had attempted to organise a flypast of RAF aircraft and the ceremony.
But a letter seen by the Weekly News from the Ministry Of Defence to Tony confirmed the Red Arrows and the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) are undertaking pre-display season training and are unavailable.
Tony said: “I personally think if Tom Mottershead hadn’t been born to a working class family, in a working class town north of Watford Gap, but had been born in home counties to landed gentry, and his schooling was Eton and instead of Simms Cross School, I think the Red Arrows, BBMF, and aircraft from every squadron would have taken to the air for a flypast over the unveiling.
“But Tom was a lowly NCO, a Northerner, and spoke a strange accent only people from the North speak.
“But as we are Northerners, and proud of it, we don’t need any aircraft from the Government.
“We’ve got something better, genuine high ranking RAF officers who recognise Tom as a true hero, local Air Cadets and of course the public.” ●