Grafton-Underwood, cont.

After visiting the church in Grafton-Underwood, I stopped at a cafe for breakfast and got to talking with the waiter. I told him why I was there and he suggested that I drive to the Vane Arms, a pub in the nearby village of Sudborough, because it has a connection to the aircrew who flew from Grafton-Underwood. The mantelpiece in the pub is something of a historical artifact.

The waiter and the bartender at the Vane Arms told the same story. As they told me, aircrew would frequent the pub and if they were flying a mission the next day, they would tap a penny into the mantelpiece before they left. Upon safely returning from their missions, they would visit the pub and take their penny to the bar for a pint. If they didn't return, their friends would hammer the coin into the wood to be left as a remembrance of their lost comrade. The bartender said these coins have been there ever since (although sadly some of them have been "nicked" over the years).

Seeing that mantle and hearing the story that goes with it was an unexpected bonus to my trip. After chatting with the bartender I had a pint and reflected a bit about the sacrifices those men made who left their coins at the pub. It was a good way to spend the Saturday after D-day.