The grave of Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, age 19

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 17 Sep 2019

John Magee wrote the poem "High Flight", the last line of which is written on his gravestone. He was a pilot in 412 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force at RAF Wellingore. Son of John Gillespie Magee and Faith Backhouse Magee, of Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Magee's poem "High Flight" found particular fame when the President Ronald Reagen, used lines from the poem as part of his address to the American people, after the "Challenger" space-ship blew up, killing seven of the crew. High Flight. Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, – and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air… Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew – And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. He died on 11th December 1941 after a mid-air collision with an Oxford trainer from Cranwell when coming out of cloud. He was too late bailing out of his Spitfire and his parachute had no time to properly deploy.

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