Funds needed for WW2 RAF Lancaster crash memorial

Lancaster bombers were being used to repatriate British prisoners of war when one crashed in Northampton

A fundraising campaign is under way to create a memorial for five men who died when their RAF Lancaster bomber crashed in a field during World War Two.

The aircraft was flying low just south of Northampton on 26 April 1945 when it struck a tree while trying to avoid cables.

It crashed on farmland close to Delapre Abbey, and of seven crew members, only two gunners survived.

Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust said the memorial, requested by families of those who died, would be a testament to their "courage and sacrifice".

Sue McCrae is the daughter of one of the two men who survived the plane crash

The Lancaster was returning from Brussels to an RAF base near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire as part of Operation Exodus, repatriating British prisoners of war.

The crash happened just 15 minutes into its flight home, Delapre Abbey said.

Two farm workers, Albert Brown and Harry Richardson, rushed to help and were awarded the British Empire Medal for their courageous efforts in trying to save the airmen.

Four of the five airmen who died that afternoon were members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

They were Flying Officer Cedric Evans, Flt Sgt Thomas Thwaite, Flt Sgt Ralph Carrodus and Flt Sgt Ian Loveridge, as well as Sgt Denis Harold Millichamp of the RAF.

They were aged between 20 and 24.

Sgt ER McRae and Sgt GA Fuller of the RAF both survived.

Christine Littlewood's father Albert was ploughing the field where the plane crashed and ran to help

The families of the fallen airmen requested the creation of a memorial, along with Trust volunteers who had been “diligently” researching the event.

Eleanor Sier, the preservation trust’s head of engagement and interpretation, said: "This memorial will stand as a testament to the courage and sacrifice of those who lost their lives and serve as a reminder of the cost of freedom.

"We are deeply grateful for every donation."

Volunteers at Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust researched the crash of April 1945, in which five airmen died