Bomber Command Memorial Register

Staunton in the Vale W.4270 Memorial

Staunton in the Vale, Lincolnshire

Complete Record
Approximate location?

Help us verify this location. This memorial's position is not yet precisely confirmed. If you have local knowledge, photographs, or documentary evidence of the exact site, we'd love to hear from you.

Photographs

61 squadron lancaster i w4270 crew w800 1
61 squadron lancaster i w4270 crew w800 1, Credit: Aircrew Remembered
61 squadron lancaster w4270 sgt. george arthur hitchon and sgt. james milton whitehead
61 squadron lancaster w4270 sgt. george arthur hitchon and sgt. james milton whitehead, Credit: Aircrew Remembered
61 squadron lancaster i w4270 memorial
61 squadron lancaster i w4270 memorial, Credit: Aircrew Remembered
61 squadron lancaster i w4270
61 squadron lancaster i w4270, Credit: Aircrew Remembered
61 squadron lancaster w4270 thomas herb warnes funeral at newark cemetery 1
61 squadron lancaster w4270 thomas herb warnes funeral at newark cemetery 1, Credit: Aircrew Remembered
61 squadron lancaster w4270 sgt. thomas herbert warne r102085 r.c.a.f.
61 squadron lancaster w4270 sgt. thomas herbert warne r102085 r.c.a.f., Credit: Aircrew Remembered

Location

Staunton in the Vale, Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire

what3words: ///blackbird.sprain.sleep

Narrative

Lancaster W4270 had been airborne for nearly seven hours on a long cross-country training exercise when disaster struck. The aircraft was brand new to 61 Squadron at RAF Syerston. At 22:56 hours, a connecting rod broke on the inner starboard engine, sparking a fire the crew could not extinguish. With the landing gear in a lowered position — possibly deployed in preparation for an emergency landing — the aircraft became uncontrollable and crashed into farmland northwest of Staunton-in-the-Vale church. All seven crew were killed instantly. The pilot, Sgt Thomas "Herb" Warne from Saskatchewan, was the oldest and most experienced at just 23, despite having only 15 hours of night flying on Lancasters. The youngest, flight engineer George Hitchon from Padiham, was 19. Three Commonwealth airmen were buried together at Newark Cemetery; the other four were returned to their home towns across Britain. The crash site lies in the agricultural lowlands south of Newark, within sight of the Lincolnshire border — territory that felt safe and familiar to crews who flew from Syerston daily, making the training loss especially poignant.

Aircraft & Operation Details

61 Sqdn. badgePer purum tonantes
Aircraft Type
Lancaster I W.4270
Squadron
61 Sqdn.
Station
Syerston
Date of Loss
1943-02-18
Operation Type
Training
Cause of Loss
Con rod broke on inner starboard engine; fire spread; undercarriage lowered causing loss of control

Crew (7 members)

RankNameRoleAgeNationalityFateBurial / Status
SgtThomas Herbert Warne
R/102085 RCAF
Pilot23CanadianKilled
Newark-upon-Trent Cemetery, Sec. P, Grave 307CWGC
SgtGeorge Arthur Hitchon
576765 RAF
Flight Engineer19BritishKilled
Padiham Churchyard, Row 3, Div. 7, Grave 5
SgtRobert John Preece
1174086 RAF
Observer22BritishKilled
Wembdon Churchyard, Sec. C, Row A, Grave 14
SgtThomas Raine Newton
1119116 RAF
W/Op Air Gunner21BritishKilled
Brandon & Byshottles Cemetery, Grave 46
SgtJames Milton Whitehead
975551 RAF
W/Op Air Gunner22BritishKilled
Cambusnethan Cemetery, Sec. A, Grave 824
SgtEdward John Loverock
950159 RAF
Air Gunner21BritishKilled
Matlock Cemetery, Plot 1, Row 12, Grave 15
SgtJohn Coaker
1276786 RAF
Air Gunner22BritishKilled
Leusdon Churchyard, Devon

About the Crew

Sgt Thomas Herbert Warne(age 23)Pilot

From Saskatchewan, Canada

Canadian pilot from Saskatchewan serving with the RCAF, aged 23. The most experienced crew member despite having only 15 hours night flying on Lancasters.

Sgt George Arthur Hitchon(age 19)Flight Engineer

From Padiham, Lancashire

Flight engineer from Padiham, Lancashire, aged 19. The youngest of the crew.

Sgt Robert John Preece(age 22)Observer

Observer serving with the RAF, aged 22.

Sgt Thomas Raine Newton(age 21)W/Op Air Gunner

Wireless operator/air gunner serving with the RAF, aged 21.

Sgt James Milton Whitehead(age 22)W/Op Air Gunner

Wireless operator/air gunner serving with the RAF, aged 22.

Sgt Edward John Loverock(age 21)Air Gunner

Air gunner serving with the RAF, aged 21.

Sgt John Coaker(age 22)Air Gunner

Air gunner serving with the RAF, aged 22. Buried in Leusdon Churchyard, Devon.

Memorial Details

Type
Memorial with interpretation board

Memorial Care

parish council
Organisation
Staunton in the Vale Parish Meeting

Memorial with interpretation board in new burial ground of St Mary's Church.

Local Contacts

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

Grantham Royal British Legionbritish legion

Local remembrance and memorial support

Staunton in the Vale Parish Meetingparish council

Local authority responsible for memorial upkeep

Further Reading

Our NottinghamshireRetrieved 2026-03-23

Local history account of the crash and memorial at Staunton-in-the-Vale. Details the 2010 rededication ceremony when new plaques replaced the degraded originals, with relatives of the crew attending.

Memorial originally built for the millennium exhibition. Contact was made with the last surviving relatives during the 2010 rededication.

Traces of WarRetrieved 2026-03-23

International crash site database entry documenting the Lancaster W4270 memorial at Staunton in the Vale, with location details and basic incident information.

Lists the memorial as a crash site marker type with location coordinates and connection to 61 Squadron RAF Syerston.

IWM War Memorials RegisterRetrieved 2026-03-23

Imperial War Museums register entry for the Lancaster W4270 crew memorial at Staunton in the Vale, catalogued as memorial reference 61723.

Formally registered memorial in the IWM national war memorials database.

CWGCRetrieved 2026-03-23

Commonwealth War Graves Commission casualty record for Warrant Officer Class II Thomas Herbert Warne, confirming his service with RCAF and burial at Newark-upon-Trent Cemetery.

CWGC casualty record number 2703186. Confirms burial location and RCAF service number R/102085.

Sources

Credits & Acknowledgements

Record compiled by
Keith Binley
Heritage sources
Aircrew Remembered (retrieved 2026-03-24)
Our Nottinghamshire (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Traces of War (retrieved 2026-03-23)
IWM War Memorials Register (retrieved 2026-03-23)
CWGC (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Last updated 2026-03-23

Nearby Memorials

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Long Bennington, LincolnshireLancaster III1943-07-13
3.2 km
away
Westborough Lancaster Memorial
Westborough, LincolnshireLancaster1945-01-15
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away
Dry Doddington Lancaster Memorial
Dry Doddington, LincolnshireLancaster1944-11-26
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away
Bleasby (6) R.1212 Memorial
Bleasby (6), NottinghamshireWellington R.12121941-04-15
7.2 km
away
Screveton (1) W.4103 Memorial
Screveton (1), NottinghamshireLancaster I W41031944-04-14
7.3 km
away

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