This year marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
But did you know that over 80 years ago, the Nottinghamshire area experienced a series of plane crashes that left some domestic and international crew members unable to return home?
For this week's retro article, we are looking at war time aviation disasters in the north of the county and how communities have honoured fallen crews.
Most of the following research references findings in a booklet titled ‘Aviation Memorials in Nottinghamshire’ – produced by Newark Air Museum in collaboration with Nottinghamshire County Council.
This booklet provides an insightful look into the county's rich aviation heritage, serving as our primary source, along with historical accounts and newspaper archives.
1. 1945 plane crash near Annesley Forest
Roger West, a dedicated researcher and writer from Ashfield, found out about a crash of a Stirling Bomber Serial EH 988 in Annesley Forest on January 14, 1945 from ‘Passage To Destruction’, a book by Malcolm and Rose Bryan. The book mentioned how a four-engine bomber was on a flight from RAF Winthorpe to Northern Ireland and suffered a loss of power, first from one engine, and then from two. The plane rapidly lost altitude and crashed in Annesley Forest, near the memorial site (pictured). Roger was a founding member of ‘The Sterling Memorial Group’. Photo: Roger West
2. Blyth and Worksop
A memorial stands in Blyth to commemorate those who lost their lives in two plane crashes near the area during World War II. The first incident involved a Wellington aircraft, registration HE818, from No. 18 Operational Training Unit at RAF Worksop, which crashed approximately 200 meters from the memorial site on March 7, 1944. The second aircraft was a Halifax, registration NA581, which crashed northwest of the village in August 1944. Photo: Newark Air Museum/Nottinghamshire County Council
3. 1944 plane crash near Edwinstowe
On February 26, 1944, a wartime aircraft training crash occurred near Edwinstowe. The aircraft, from 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit at nearby RAF Winthorpe (now home to the Newark Air Museum), was on a training flight at the time of the incident. Tragically, five airmen lost their lives in the crash, while one survivor was taken to Mansfield General Hospital for treatment. Photo: Jason Chadwick
4. 1960 plane crash in Hucknall
The memory of a Polish airmen is kept alive in Hucknall, as a memorial plaque to the airman is mounted on a sandstone wall on West Street near the now-closed Seven Stars pub. The pilot died when his plane crashed into a house at the junction of Ruffs Drive and Laughton Crescent in September 1940. Photo: NW