Lieutenant Charles "Chuck" Gumm Jr. was born on 29th October, 1920 in Spokane, Washington, and was a relative of the entertainer Judy Garland - born Frances Ethel "Baby" Gumm. He graduated from the John R. Rogers High School in 1939 from where he then proceeded to Gonzaga University to continue further his education. In 1942, following the US entry into World War 2, and shortly after marrying his high school sweet heart, Muriel "Toni" Wiley, Gumm left university to volunteer for training in the USAAF. He joined the 354th Fighter Group (The Pioneer Mustang Group) of the 355th Fighter Squadron (Pugnacious Pups) where he undertook his training as a pilot. After a while, Charles and Muriel were blessed with the birth of their daughter Toni, and then some time later the Fighter Group was posted to England. After crossing the U.S. by train they arrived in Manhattan where they were loaded onto the HMS Athlone Castle, and set sail for Liverpool. They arrived on 1st November, but could not move into the dock until the 3rd owing to a thick fog which hung over the harbour. Early on 4th November they disembarked and made their way to the Greenham Common airbase, which was to become their first home in England. But this would be only a short stay and, on 13th November, they were posted to Boxted airfield, Station 150, (located at Long 0:55:59E, Lat 51:56:19N - map ) in the small rural East Anglian village of Langham, which lies on the Essex-Suffolk border, close to Nayland. The Air Ministry usually named airfields after the nearest village or town. However, there already existed an airfield named Langham in Norfolk, so in this case the airfield was named after the next nearest village, Boxted.

In a cruel twist of fate, Lt. Gumm's career ended very unexpectedly on 1st March, 1944 when he made the ultimate sacrifice. The P-51 Mustang (P-51B1, 43-12165) he was flying (on a cross country flight to Goxhill) crashed shortly after becoming airborne. Its engine lost power at 800 feet. Observers of the crash, and in particular Canon W. Wright of St. James Vicarage, reported that Gumm could have parachuted to safety but chose to stay with the plane which crashed into an open field outside town. He realised he was over the Nayland village and that if he bailed out to save himself his plane would crash into the English town and claim innocent lives. He therefore decided to remain with his plane to steer it away from the village and to attempt a forced landing. It crash landed on the banks of the river Stour near 'Court Knoll' but, unfortunately, at the last moment his Mustang hit a tree and he was thrown out of the cockpit and died instantly.

The Court Knoll earthworks (located at Long 0:52:22E, Lat 51:58:09N - map ) is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and was the subject of an Archaeological, Geophysical & Historical Study by the Nayland with Wissington Conservation Society.

Lt. Gumm is buried at Greenwood Memorial Terrace in his home town of Spokane, Washington, United States of America - where he is still remembered. He was survived by his wife Muriel R. and 10 month old daughter Toni. Muriel subsequently remarried, to Duke Shearin, who had been in Charles' squadron and she adopted her new husband's surname. Lt. Gumm also had three older siblings, a brother Ross and two sisters Velda and Lucille, all whom are now deceased (source: Salley Green, grandniece of Charles Gumm, granddaughter of Lucille). Lucille lived in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, until she died in July 2010 (source: The Spokesman-Review.com ).

Lt. Charles F. Gumm's heroic deed is remembered still with a wreath being laid on on his bench each Remembrance Day.

Graham W Griffiths, Wissington