The Nayland and District Royal British Legion will be honouring the heroism of Master of the Air USAAF Lieutenant Charles F Gumm today

An American fighter pilot, who made the ultimate sacrifice, will be remembered during a special ceremony today.

The Nayland and District branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL) will be holding a short ceremony to acknowledge the heroism of USAAF Lieutenant Charles F Gumm.

Lt Gumm’s career ended unexpectedly on March 1, 1944, when the P-51 Mustang he was flying on a cross-country flight to Goxhill crashed shortly after becoming airborne, when its engine lost power at 800 feet.

Gumm, then aged 23, could have parachuted to safety but chose to stay with the plane, which crashed into an open field.

Realising that he was over Nayland and that if he bailed out his plane would crash and claim innocent lives, he decided to remain with his plane to steer it away from the village and attempt a forced landing.

It crash landed on the banks of the River Stour near Court Knoll. His Mustang is thought to have hit a tree, throwing him out of the cockpit and killing him instantly.

A memorial bench was built close to the Nayland war memorial in 2001. The Nayland and District Royal British Legion will lay a poppy wreath there at 11am this morning.

Lt Charles ‘Chuck’ Gumm was born in Spokane, Washington on October 29, 1920. He was a relative of the entertainer Judy Garland. He graduated from John R Rogers High School in 1939, before attending Gonzaga University.

In 1942, following the US entry into the Second World War, and shortly after marrying his high school sweet heart, Muriel Wiley, Gumm left university to volunteer for the USAAF. He joined the 354th Fighter Group of the 355th Fighter Squadron to train as a pilot.

He was posted to Boxted Airfield, Station 150, in the village of Langham, on the Essex-Suffolk border.

The Air Ministry named airfields after the nearest village or town. However, with an airfield in Norfolk already named Langham, the airbase was named after the next nearest village of Boxted.

Lt Gumm is buried in his home town of Spokane, Washington, where he is still remembered. He received the air medal and three oak leaf clusters.

He was also awarded, posthumously, the silver star, the soldiers medal and the distinguished flying cross for gallantry in action. He was the leading ace for his squadron, with 7.5 victories to his credit.