Bomber Command Memorial Register

Bassingham Fen Stirling Memorial

Bassingham Fen, Lincolnshire

Partial Record
Confirmed location?

Photographs

5d2196eed32ca LI Bassingham Fen 1 547x410
5d2196eed32ca LI Bassingham Fen 1 547x410, Credit: Tony Hibberd / War Memorials Online
5d2196f04685f LI Bassingham Fen 3 547x410
5d2196f04685f LI Bassingham Fen 3 547x410, Credit: Tony Hibberd / War Memorials Online
5d2196f1e21b6 LI Bassingham Fen 4 547x410
5d2196f1e21b6 LI Bassingham Fen 4 547x410, Credit: Tony Hibberd / War Memorials Online

Location

Bassingham Fen, Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire

what3words: ///smelter.poetry.mailers

Aircraft & Operation Details

Aircraft Type
Short Stirling
Serial Number
EH977
Squadron
1660 HCU
Station
Swinderby
Date of Loss
1944-11-05

Crew

7 killed including pilot Plt Off. Robert James Chalmers

Memorial Details

Type
Stone memorial

Memorial Care

parish council
Organisation
Bassingham Parish Council

Local Contacts

These local organisations are connected to this memorial and may be able to help with information or visits.

City of Lincoln Royal British Legionbritish legion

Local remembrance and memorial support

Bassingham Parish Councilparish council

Local authority responsible for memorial upkeep

Further Reading

War Memorials OnlineRetrieved 2026-03-23

War Memorials Online records the memorial plaque to the crew of 1660 HCU Stirling EH977 'Z', noting the aircraft crashed close to Wirelocks Farm after departing Swinderby for a routine night conversion training flight on 5 November 1944.

Aircraft coded 'Z'Crashed near Wirelocks Farm, Sand Syke DrainDeparted at 02:40 hoursPost-accident investigation found wrong engine was feathered

Research blog entry on P/O Robert James Chalmers records he arrived at 1660 Conversion Unit on 2 October 1944, barely a month before the fatal crash. The investigation revealed that after an in-flight engine failure, a functioning engine was feathered by mistake, possibly due to crew inexperience.

Chalmers arrived at 1660 HCU on 2 October 1944In-flight engine failureWorking engine feathered in errorPossible crew inexperience cited

Sources

  • Geograph East Anglia WW2 Aircrew Crash Memorials(website)

Credits & Acknowledgements

Record compiled by
Keith Binley
Heritage sources
War Memorials Online (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Scarlet Boy Tumblr (Research Blog) (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Last updated 2026-03-21

Nearby Memorials

Bomber County Gateway Lancaster Memorial
Bomber County Gateway, Lincoln, LincolnshireFull-size Lancaster replica (steel frame) commemorating Lancaster18/09/1942 (crash date of R5689)
9.8 km
away
Caythorpe Station Lancaster Memorial
Caythorpe Station, LincolnshireLancaster1945-02-10
11.9 km
away
Caythorpe Heath Stirling Memorial
Caythorpe Heath, LincolnshireStirling1944-04-12
12.8 km
away
Dry Doddington Lancaster Memorial
Dry Doddington, LincolnshireLancaster1944-11-26
14.9 km
away
Blankney (mid-air collision) Lancaster Memorial
Blankney (mid-air collision), LincolnshireLancaster1945-03-11
15.4 km
away

Do you have additional information, photographs, or corrections for this record? We welcome contributions from researchers, families, and local communities.

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This record for Bassingham Fen Stirling Memorial is partially complete. We’re looking for additional details such as crew information, photographs, narrative history, or source references.

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