Incidents in Potton in World War Two

Bedfordshire was not much affected by loss of life due to bombing raids in World War Two compared with some areas of the country – a total of 125, of whom no less than 108 were killed or died in Luton. Potton saw a number of incidents during World War Two.

• On 30th October 1940 two high explosive bombs were dropped at Vicarage Farm [WW2/AR/CO/2/2];
• On 9th April 1941 four high explosive bombs were dropped three hundred yards north-west of Biggleswade Road [WW2/AR/CO/2/3];
• On 19th October 1944 an RAF four-engined Stirling bomber from RAF Tempsford crashed near Potton Cemetery, killing the crew of five [WW2/AR/CO/2/3 and WW2/AR/C/2/244];
• On 14th February 1945 another Stirling from Tempsford crashed in Potton, this time at Deepdale. It was as the result of a mid-air crash with a USAAF Mustang fighter from Steeple Modern [Cambridgeshire](which crash landed in Cambridge Road, Sandy). All eight crew of the Stirling were killed as was the pilot of the Mustang [WW2/AR/CO/2/3 and WW2/AR/C/2/248].