Flying into history
The scene is set at ProLogis Park Stafford. A bugler plays a mournful tribute, a Mustang flies overhead and hundreds of people are united in remembrance of an heroic WWII pilot. ProLogis PR consultant Debbie Munro recalls the efforts which led to a unforgettable Fourth of July.
The request was straightforward enough – they wanted some money for a good cause. Creswell Parish Council was trying to set up a small memorial to a brave, young US pilot who had died within its boundaries during the Second World War. Would ProLogis like to contribute, on the basis that our new Stafford development was just yards away from the crash site?
Yes, of course, we said we would be delighted to offer support and looked forward to an invitation when the unveiling took place. Little did we realise that this modest request would set in motion a project of international proportions. The Perrin Memorial would connect business and community, reach out to the relatives of a war hero, re-unite American and British allies and provide a lasting memorial to a significant local event.
Stricken aircraft
Decorated pilot Captain John (Jack) Pershing Perrin, of the United States Army Air Force, was just 25 when he died on Independence Day 1944. He was delivering a brand-new Mustang fighter plane to an airbase in England when it developed problems approaching Stafford. Instead of ejecting to safety, Jack stayed at the controls of his stricken aircraft long enough to steer it away from the town and outlying schools and villages, before losing control and crashing into what was then a wheat field, in Creswell. It is thought that his brave actions may have saved hundreds of lives.
Stafford town has a plaque dedicated to the young pilot, but the village of Creswell had nothing to remember him by. For some years, the parish council had been pondering a way of commemorating Captain Perrin’s sacrifice. ProLogis had already named the estate road “Mustang Drive” in his honour but now councillors were hoping to go a step further. They planned a memorial at the edge of a spinney near the new warehouses at ProLogis Park Stafford, near Junction 14 of the M6.
Through discussions with Clerk to the Parish Council Tom Doubtfire, it was suggested that a modest donation be made to get the memorial fund underway. However, once we started to look in depth at the history of the wartime incident and heard about the number of local people willing to offer their services, it became obvious that Captain Perrin deserved a really impressive memorial.
An unforgettable day
At the time of the first meeting with the parish council in March, no-one could imagine just how big an event it would turn out to be. Its organisation not only utilised ProLogis’ PR resources on both sides of the Atlantic, it also relied on the generosity and co-operation of numerous other parties, including local residents, companies and schools, the US Embassy, the RAF, local authorities, the police and the church.
Amazingly, the whole thing came together in just four months, culminating in an unforgettable day last summer, when a stunning memorial stone was dedicated and unveiled to the young war hero, exactly 63 years to the day after his fateful crash.
The guest list was drawn up for a joint Anglo-American unveiling. It was headed by representatives from the US Embassy in London and the Office of the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, representing the Queen. Two local ministers would take the service, and the voluntary band from RAF Cosford kindly offered to play for the ceremony and marquee reception. The US Embassy also provided a bugler, the aptly-named Staff Sergeant Stafford Kibbey, who flew to Stafford expressly from his base in Germany and whose ancestors originated from the town.
The parish council identified a seven-tonne piece of Derbyshire stone for the memorial. This was transported back to Stafford by a local haulier to be worked on by local stonemasons and a master carver. The carved scene depicted Captain Perrin with his aircraft, linking the outlines of the UK and USA. A Welsh slate plaque was inscribed with the facts of the tragic story.
Stunning aerial display
Preparations were gathering pace. A Mustang aircraft (Ferocious Frankie), identical to the one that Captain Perrin flew in 1944, was hired for a stunning aerial display to close the ceremony. Meanwhile, over at ProLogis HQ in Denver, Corporate Communications Specialist Jessica Neal was busy arranging the publication of a special commemorative booklet. The words had already been written by Stanley Jones, a Stafford man who witnessed the plane coming down as a child. Jessica was also trying to find relatives of Captain Perrin, who hailed from New Jersey.
“We realised we absolutely needed to track down living relatives in the United States to let them know what ProLogis was planning,” Jessica recalls. “I investigated online people-tracking websites, genealogical websites and – via the Association of Professional Genealogists – located a family member.”
Now we were in possession of a document that included the Perrin family tree, starting with Jack’s grandparents, and including the telephone number of Jack’s first cousin’s daughter, Denise.
“Denise was shocked when I contacted her at first,” says Jessica, “but also very curious. I let her know about the event we were planning in the UK. Her sister Helaine gave me a call the next day.”
First and last flight
Their conversation resulted in Jack’s relatives being flown over to England by ProLogis for the unveiling ceremony on – of course – July 4th. Helaine, 43, her daughter Catherine, nine, and her mother Helen Perrin, 75 - the widow of Jack's first cousin Donald Perrin – were presented with a boxed edition of the Order of Service and Stanley Jones’ book, “The First and Last Mustang Flight of a Heroic WWII American Pilot.” Jessica had organised the publication of Stanley’s story, which now included photographs of Captain Perrin and letters he had written home.
The event even connected the youngest generations, enabling them to begin to understand the united cause which brought soldiers of two continents together. Catherine laid a wreath on the memorial stone and talked to children from the local school the plane had narrowly missed, including two youngsters whose grandparents had been pupils at the time.
Never forgotten
The day itself went off without a hitch and was attended by more than 200 people, including the Mayor of Stafford, the local MP, RAF representatives and Robert Watson, CEO of ProLogis European Properties. It was featured on radio and television and in the American and British press.
“The success of the memorial ceremony is testimony to all the hard work and effort that went into organising this major event,” said Alan Sarjant, ProLogis Senior Vice President Development. “ProLogis worked closely with the local community and others to make sure this young pilot’s bravery was never forgotten. It is a fine example of corporate social responsibility.”
Chairman of the Parish Council, Cllr Mrs Dorothy Dixon, summed up what the memorial meant to the village. “The people of Creswell have never forgotten Captain Perrin's courage and now, all these years later, we are finally going to be able to repay our debt of gratitude to him, thanks to the generosity of ProLogis Developments.
“The memorial stone is very impressive and will serve as a lasting tribute to Captain Perrin and as a reminder to future generations from Creswell and Stafford of the sacrifice he made for us all.”
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The Ceremony |
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