Richard L Coleman was born in 1927. His parents were Lewis Rootham Coleman (born 16 April 1897) and Elsie Gladys Ingram (born 1898 Earls Barton). They married in 1922.

When he did his National Service in 1946-48, Richard served as a batman. He lived in Rushden Road, Wymington, and had previously worked for Mr Roland Newell who kept a corn and meal business at Sharnbrook.

In 1944 they were on the old A45 road in the delivery van when they saw two planes crash over Stanwick Mill area. Richard was aged 17 and was helping with deliveries. Together he and Mr Newell crawled across a snow covered rough ploughed field to get to an injured airman.

In 1993 Richard started researching the air crash, and corresponded with several Americans, and he also got a copy of the accident report. It seems there was only one survivor, the man they had helped. He was the Right Waist Gunner Sgt. David I. Miller.

Lewis R Coleman died in 1975, Elsie died in 1977, and their son Richard died in January 2020.