Gaston Riggs was killed in a training accident in a P-51 Mustang. He had completed 28 missions flying B-17s with the 94th Bomb Group, before transferring to the 339th Fighter Group to fly P-51s.



Riggs was killed in a training accident on 26 February 1945, when his P-51 43-6785 developed engine problems over the Heathrow area on a training flight from Fowlmere. Rather than bailing out over a populated area, he attempted to land at Heston Airfield, but hit the farmhouse on nearby Grange Farm, crashing just outside the airfield perimeter. Local rescuers extricated Riggs from the burning wreck of his aircraft, but he died en route to West Middlesex hospital.



In 2015, Heston locals campaigned for a memorial to recognise Riggs' sacrifice.