"THE last resting place of a Battle of Britain hero could soon vanish for ever under a luxury riverside development, say campaigners. They are calling on the Government to make one last search for the body of Flight Sergeant Eric Williams who was shot down in an aerial battle over Kent in October 1940. The 28-year-old pilot could have parachuted to safety but he stayed at the controls of his Hawker Hurricane fi ghter to steer the stricken aircraft away from the densely populated areas of Gravesend, saving the town from disaster. The Hurricane nosedived into a timber yard with such force that it was buried without a trace and the remains have never been found despite two excavation attempts. Flt Sgt Williams is now one of only two of the pilots called “the Few” by Winston Churchill whose body remains unrecovered on British soil. The site has been earmarked for building and developers have been given outline planning permission for 650 marina-style homes, riverside walks, 730 parking spaces and a children’s play area. Campaigners say that if the development goes ahead there will be no chance of fi nding the remains of Flt Sgt Williams, who had the call sign Blue One. Kent-based military historian John Tate has launched a Facebook page called Bring Blue One Back Home which is linked to an online petition calling for another search. Mr Tate, who lives near Gravesend, fears previous searches may have focused on the wrong area." http://www.express.co.uk/news/history/527528/Last-chance-find-body-Battle-Britain-hero-Eric-Williams
