Memorial for WW2 pilot who 'sacrificed his life' to save children

Jon Tunnicliffe (left) said his father Dennis (right), was one of the children who had been playing in the park

A WW2 pilot who eyewitnesses said sacrificed his life instead of landing in a park where children were playing is to have a memorial in his honour.

The engines on Aston Cooper-Key's plane failed and he flew into a railway gantry to avoid the children, relatives of those who were there said.

Jon Tunnicliffe said his father, who was in the park, was "proud" of the pilot for saving their lives.

The memorial will be made by students from Derby College.

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Mr Tunnicliffe said his late father Dennis was about eight years old when the plane came down near Peartree railway station 80 years ago.

He told BBC Radio Derby his father and his friends were playing and saw the plane in difficulty.

"Initially, my father told me he did a low flypast trying to warn the children his engines had failed.

"But apparently there was that many children in different areas across this wasteland, the pilot decided not to try and crash land on the park.

"He managed to gain a bit of height and decided to take his own life by putting the plane into a railway gantry," Mr Tunnicliffe said.

James King, a relative of Mr Cooper-Key, said his family was "immensely proud" of the pilot

He said his father researched the name of the pilot in the early 2000s and found his grave in Lincolnshire. He was 21 years old when he died in the crash.

"He wrote a memorial letter saying how proud he was of this pilot's effort for saving his life and also his friends.

"He placed it on the grave and said some peaceful words," Mr Tunnicliffe said.

Derby College students have nine different design ideas for the memorial sculpture, which will be situated at Peartree station.

James King, a relative of Mr Cooper-Key, said his family was "immensely proud of this man" and it was "wonderful" he was being remembered.