Combs Fords Tragedy

A Memory of Stowmarket.

In World War II I attended school in Stowmarket. My home was in the neighboring village of Needham down by the railway station, so I would catch the local bus at the Swan Public House and ride it to the Market Square in Stow. As the bus traveled north there were three other young children who joined the same bus, and on arrival we would walk to school together. (I was about eight years old at the time. One of the girls was about one year older as I remember)
After school we would stand in the Market Square to catch the bus back.
One day we stood waiting for our bus back home and it didn't come. No one seemed to know why. Eventually on our own initiative we decided to walk home to Needham. When we arrived at the edge of Combs Fords the road home was completely blocked. There had been a terrible accident between a CWS milk tanker and an American Army fuel bowser. The wrecks of the vehicles were burning and there were fatalities. When we arrived on the scene we were quickly shoed away and had to resort to walking completely around the disaster by crossing open fields to the west. Finally after making a big loop we rejoined the road to Needham and started our trudge home. Just at that moment a car going in our direction stopped. It was the Police Chief from Needham who was just returning to our village after helping out at the accident. He took us all on board and drove us to our respective homes. My Mother was still at work when I arrived home so had no idea that I was late getting there. A sad memory but one I will always remember.

---

---