Italian historians attempt to find family of Wandsworth pilot who crashed in Second World War

A pair of Italian historians are trying to find the relatives of a pilot who died in the Second World War, after discovering the remains of the wreckage almost exactly 80 years after it crashed.

Ago Alberti and Michele Mari are two historians living in Italy and managed to locate the crash point of a bomber plane last month, close to the hamlet of Castel Azzara, nearly a hundred miles north of Rome.

From the remains and with help from an RAF historian, they were able to identify the plane and all the men who were on it.

The crash took the lives of five airmen, one of which was 22-year-old Sergeant Benjamin Lawrence Bryant from Wandsworth. 

All five men were buried at the Bolsena War Cemetery but there are no further identifying records.

The historians want to find Sgt Bryant’s relatives as the local municipality plans to build up a memorial tablet in memory of the RAF crew.

Mr Alberti, a history professor who contacted South London Press in an attempt to find the relatives of Sgt Bryant said: “The bomber took off at Hani West in Tunisia at 5.30pm on October 16, 1943, detailed to bomb Roma Casale aerodrome, and crashed in flames at Taggeto Castel Azzaro.

“It seems the Wellington bomber was lost due to atrocious weather conditions. You know, the Italian anti-aircraft artillery was unable to hit an elephant in a bathtub.

“The pilot lost his bearings and crashed on a wooded area on the slopes of Mount Amiata.

“The plane has since been identified thanks to David Gunby from New Zealand, a well known RAF historian.”

Mr Alberti and Mr Mari identified that Sgt Bryant was the son of Benjamin Albert and Ellen Adelaide Bryant from Wandsworth through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The historians have said they would help any relatives find the site of the crash and could send them remains of the aircraft if they wished.

“The real protagonist of the whole matter is my friend Michele,” said Mr Alberti. “He is a local historian of the area surrounding the Bolsena Lake; he has focused his investigations around the liberation of that area, in summer 1944 and in the aerial war bombing of towns and bridges.

“Since 2013, he has located the crash points of more than 40 different aircrafts – German, British, American planes that were shot down in combat along the borderline between Latium and Tuscany.”

Mr Alberti helps reconstruct the stories of the crashed aircraft with details about the missions, crew, and circumstances of the crashes.

“The local municipality will build up a memorial tablet in memory of the RAF crew; they would like to invite the military attachè of the British Embassy to Rome,” he added.

If anyone has any details about Sgt Bryant’s family please get in touch.

Pictured top: Michele Mari and the remains of the bomber plane carrying Sgt Bryant that crashed in Italy (Picture: Michele Mari)