Sheffield teachers share student Mi Amigo schoolwork with US airmen after meeting at Endcliffe Park

The Year 6 students at Hunters Bar Junior School cover a number of themes in their curriculum over the course of the academic year, including ‘history interpreted’ in which they look at World War Two, with everything from propaganda to local history.

As such the pupils visit the nearby Mi Amigo memorial in Endcliffe Park, which commemorates the lives of 10 US airmen who died when their B-17 Flying Fortress, known as Mi Amigo, plummeted from skies and crashed into woodland on February 22, 1944. 

They then follow up the memorial visit with school work, which includes writing a piece about the Mi Amigo, a recount of what it would have been like if they were there, a news article and an information booklet. 

The Mi Amigo had completed a daring day time raid on the Aalborg airfield in occupied Denmark but it had been hit during the attack and limped back over the North Sea.

The story goes that the crew were attempting to make an emergency landing on the field at Endcliffe Park, but upon noticing a group of children playing they diverted and crashed into the nearby wooded area.

One of the children on the field that day was pensioner Tony Foulds, who was then just eight-years-old. With a feeling of guilt, he has spent several decades tending to the memorial dedicated to the crew. 

This year, during their visit to Endcliffe Park the children met Tony, who has since become a well-known face across the country, after his call for a fly-past in memory of the Mi Amigo crew came into fruition. 

The fly-past took place on Friday, February 22, and saw an estimated 10,000 people descend on Endcliffe Park, including pupils and staff from Hunters Bar Junior School.

The country watched on as the USAF and RAF used a unique variety of aircraft to perform a awe-inspiring airshow, which included four F15 Strike Eagle fighter jets performing a missing man formation as an aerial salute to the Mi Amigo victims.

After the event, and back on the ground, staff members from Hunters Bar Junior school spotted an F15 pilot called Andy, and showed him the children’s booklets which they had brought along.

Headteacher Michael Watson said: “One of our Year 6 teachers spotted the pilot, so took the booklets to show him. He went away and then came back a few minutes later and said could he have them all so he could take them back to base and show the rest of the guys.

“It's really good, we told the children in assembly on Monday and they were all excited. We shared contact details so are just waiting on a response.”

The children will finish their project before Easter after which it will be proudly displayed around the school.