THE unveiling of a new headstone means that people in Trowbridge can finally pay their respects to two teenage girls killed in a Second World War bombing raid.


The Royal British Legion in Trowbridge held a memorial on Thursday, 75 years to the day since 16-year-old Renee Reed and 17-year-old Rosie Sheehan were killed when a bomb dropped by an enemy aircraft struck the town’s Royal British Legion Club.


The plane had been returning from a raid over Bristol and the girls were the only civilian casualties in the town.


Their bodies were identified at the time but no relatives ever came forward and the pair were buried together in unmarked graves.


Retired Air Vice Marshall and president of the Royal British Legion's Trowbridge branch, Martin Clark, said: “It feels 
like we have brought to a close the uncertainty around the graves. 


"It’s a proud moment for members of the Royal British Legion to be able to put a headstone in place to mark where the two girls rest.”


Peter Richardson, a member of the Trowbridge branch of the Royal British Legion, and other club members carried out a lot of research into the incident and discovered that the girls had been buried at the Downside Cemetery on The Down in Trowbridge.


Since then they have worked hard to raise the £900 needed for the new headstone.


Amongst those paying their respects were sisters Amy Dickenson and Betty Macey, who lived down the road from where the girls were staying.

Trowbridge Mayor Cllr Deborah Halik said: “I think this is important for the people of Trowbridge to have a sense of history about those who were here before them.


“It’s somewhere to come to remember those no longer with us, and to learn about our past, which I think is important for our future as a town and can bring closure to this sad story.”