Saved From Certain Death
Last night, Brightling, East Sussex, became the scene of a miraculous rescue that reads like it is straight from a boy's own adventure novel. The site of a former airfield, used by allied pilots during the Battle of Britain, has been reinstated as farmland since its closure in January 1946. But little did the villagers know of the dangers still lurking beneath the soil.
A group of local children, aged between four and eleven, were exploring the site, when they chanced upon a way into a chamber in which the RAF had once stored explosive materials. Unfortunately, some of the highly volatile material remained in place, and while they were trying to dig a tunnel, falling debris triggered a fifteen pound shell to explode. There are reports that the blast could be heard over five miles away.
Several boys were buried by debris, including Malcolm Forester and Jim Parsons, both aged five. Forester, the son of a local farmer, said, "We were all playing on the mound, and there was a big bang and everything went black. My legs were stuck, and I had soil all on top of me. I was crying because I thought I was dead, but then Jim grabbed my foot and started to shout for help."
The children were rescued by a heroic older child from the same village, who has not yet been named. However The Gazette has since learned that he was also rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery to amputate his damaged left hand. He remains in a stable condition.
There were no further serious injuries amongst the other children.
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The Brightlings
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