Marguerite Crowther, known to all as “Peggy” was teaching in Romania in 1939. With the drums of war starting to beat, Peggy made in back to the UK just before war was declared.

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Peggy had some basic nursing experience and had training as an ambulance driver and was therefore called up as an ambulance driver. Her station was in the West End of London, just behind the Dominion Theatre in Tottenham Court Road.

One particular night the Dominion was hit. It was packed with many service personnel. Peggy was on the spot and led the convoy ferrying the injured to hospital.

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Peggy confessed she had no fear driving through the burning streets of Central London or the falling bombs. On another occasion Golden Square was burning on three sides; Peggy and her colleague attended to and comforted a man who had been badly burnt. There was also a fallen beam trapping him. With the intense heat, the attending fire brigade had to play their hoses on Peggy’s ambulance to stop it exploding.

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After gallantly attending many horrific incidents, later in the war Peggy got a reprieve as she became chauffeur to General de Gaulle.

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She met Richard Crowther before the war; the fell in love and married in 1942. Richard was a Flying Officer and rear gunner with the RAF. He had been mentioned in despatches and had been shot down on three occasions, the last time over Crete in 1941. He was badly injured, but escaped and the resulting operation meant he was unable to fly. Therefore he was no longer able to fly.

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Richard still was able to “do his bit.” He joined 2823 Squadron of the RAF Regiment on anti-aircraft duties. He was stationed at Lympne near the Kent coast.

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In April 1944 Richard paid a visit to a Home Guard unit in nearby Sellinge to give a talk on his experiences in the Battle of Crete. According to the squadron diary, the talk was greatly appreciated.

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With D-Day having come and gone,  the real threat to London and the South East were the V1 (also known as PACs-pilotless aircraft); the first being launched on this country on the night of 12/13 June 1944.

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On 23 June 1944 at around 2.20pm a local Army anti-aircraft battery shot down a V1; it landed on a Nissen hut on No 6 site of the Lympne site. Three huts were completely wiped out. Richard Crowther and 6 other ranks were rushed to Willesborough Hospital, near Ashford. Leading Aircraftsman Moore was killed outright; Leading Aircraftsman Pritchard died shortly after admission to hospital.

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The Squadron diary for 24 July records. ”F/O RK Crowther died today in hospital as a result of injuries sustained in PAC accident. Leading Aircraftsman Weston has since died of injuries sustained in the same incident.”

Richard Crowther was buried at St Mary’s Church, Pulborough, Sussex; the small town where Peggy and Richard made their home. Peggy was pregnant with their daughter when Richard was killed. She did not remarry and died at the age of 103.

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