Memorial stone to be unveiled to honour fallen village RAF man

A man’s mission to create a lasting memorial to a fallen airman is at last going to reach a successful conclusion.

Flying Officer Andrew Crowther of the RAF, who was killed in 1981 when taking part in a training exercise, will be honoured on a new memorial which will have its dedication service on September 5.

The memorial in The Square in Wales, Rotherham, is also dedicated to members of the Armed Forces who died in peacetime.

For David Stapleton, seeing the memorial finally put in place is the end of three years of effort to remember the brother of his late friend, Martin Crowther.

David said: “Three years ago I said to Martin that it bothered me that Andrew was not remembered.

“I had asked the War Graves Commission whether Andrew’s name could be on the cenotaph but they said he can only go on if he died in a declared conflict.

“Martin did not live to see the memorial happen but his brother Ian has.

“Wales Parish Council deserve a big pat on the back. They financed it.”

Mr Stapleton, who did not know Andrew well, said it was important to remember fallen military personnel.

He said: “When they sign up they sign a blank cheque with their lives and you never know if it will be cashed. We have to remember, it’s vital.

“Andrew needs to be remembered.”

Mr Stapleton said that there is space on the memorial to add other names in future.

He said that Andrew’s squadron, 266 Squadron, traditionally carries a strip of Lumsden tartan on their tail planes and the Lumsden clan will be sending a piece of their distinctive tartan to be included on the tribute to Andrew at the dedication ceremony.

David’s son-in-law, a veteran, will be playing the Last Post on the day.

Richard Waller, former clerk to Wales Parish Council, helped start the process of getting the memorial put in place.

He said: “The dedication service is on Saturday September 5 at 10.30am.

“The memorial is adjacent to the parish war memorial at The Square in Wales.”

Andrew Crowther died on November 18, 1981, when his SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 supersonic jet attack aircraft flew into a hillside during a snow storm near Dingwall in Scotland. He had been based at RAF Lossiemouth.