Northland School

Stellin Memorial Park

St Maclou La Briere

St Maclou La Briere

James Kingston Stellin died trying to avoid crashing his plane into a school in St Maclou la Briere. This is a small village in the Haute Normandie region in the north of France.

Map of France indicating location of town.

James Stellin's grave in the village cemetery.

James Stellin's grave in the village cemetery. Just beyond the white fence is his memorial in Place Stellin.

James Stellin's name is engraved on the war memorial.

James Stellin's name is engraved on the war memorial in the churchyard along with the names of four other men from the village killed in the war.

Le Mairie or office of the Mayor of Saint Maclou la Briere.

Le Mairie or office of the Mayor of Saint Maclou la Briere. The current mayor was a small boy at the school on the very day in 1944 when James Stellin prevented his plane from crashing into the school building.

In 1946 the mayor of the village wrote to James Stellin's father telling him what happened and how the villagers felt about James's brave act.