Leicester Lancaster Memorial

Local remembrance and memorial support

Local authority responsible for memorial upkeep

IWM registers a wall-mounted plaque commemorating the airmen of 300 Polish Bomber Squadron killed when Lancaster PA269 crashed on Long Street, Wigston, Leicester on 4 February 1946. All six crew members were killed.

IWM memorial reference 55366Crash location was Long Street, WigstonAll six Polish crew killed

A second IWM-registered memorial -- a commemorative tree -- also marks the site of the Lancaster PA269 crash in Wigston, providing a living memorial alongside the plaque.

IWM memorial reference 55367Commemorative tree memorial

In February 2026, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council marked the 80th anniversary of the crash. The Lancaster, on a routine flight from RAF Faldingworth, was believed to have been hit by lightning during a violent thunderstorm. The pilot, Wing Commander Romuald Sulinski KSOVM DSO DFC, avoided Long Street and the nearby school, steering towards a ploughed field. The aircraft crashed at approximately 13:25, missing Long Street Modern School by less than 10 feet.

80th anniversary marked February 2026Pilot was Wg Cdr Sulinski DSO DFCBelieved struck by lightningMissed school by less than 10 feetCrew buried at Newark-Upon-Trent Polish war graves

War Memorials Online registers the Faldingworth memorial to 300 Squadron Polish Air Force, providing broader context for the Polish squadron's presence in Lincolnshire and their post-war losses.

Faldingworth 300 Squadron memorial registered