MORE than 200 people travelled from all over the world to remember the crew of a Valiant bomber that crashed 50 years ago.
The bomber, WZ 363 of 207 Squadron Royal Air Force, crashed in a field at West Farm, in Linwood Road, Market Rasen. All five members of the crew lost their lives.
A memorial service was held on the Grimsby-bound platform at the station beneath the plaque placed there four years ago.
Attendees included representatives of the RAF Associations of Cleethorpes and Brigg, Market Rasen Air Training Corps and the Royal British Legion branch. The service was conducted by RAF Chaplain the Reverend Bill Peg.
Those killed were Flt Lt Christopher Welles, 26, the captain, co-pilot Flt Lt George Arthur Mills, 28, navigators Flt Lt John Robert Stringer, 37, and Flt Lt Leslie Richard Hawkins, 30, and Sgt Richard Noble, 25, an air electronics operator.
Wreaths were laid by members of their families, a silence was observed and the Market Rasen RPC band played music before and after the service and to the hymn Abide With Me.
Captain Arthur Creighton told guests at the service, arranged by the Station Adoption Group, of the events of that day 50 years ago that were to determine the direction of the lives of those who were left behind.
Mr Peg blessed the plaque and a bugler played the Last Post. The first wreath was laid by the brother of Sgt Noble.
Samantha Burman had travelled from Thailand especially for the service.
She said: "Christopher Welles was my father, he had been the boyfriend of my mother. I would not have missed this occasion for anything. It was hard for mum afterwards."
Flt Lt Welles was praised at the time for what was believed to be his action in steering the plane away from built-up areas.
Mary Burman, Samantha's mother, was also at the service.
Priscilla Inkpen was Christopher Welles' sister.
She said: "I had heard on the news of an RAF plane flying out of Marham crashing. I just knew it was my brother's plane. I can recall an RAF officer walking up the drive to tell my mum."
Having split up from Samantha's mother, Flt Lt Welles had found a new girlfriend, now Hazel Wirth, who had travelled from Malta to remember the man she was engaged to at the time of the crash.
Deborah Lewis, who has researched the crash over several years, also attended with her brother Richard Mills to remember their father George Mills, who had only been a substitute on the plane out on the night exercise.
The Valiant had touched down at RAF Binbrook before gaining height briefly before the crash.
