Stirling crash site and memorial, Gibhill Wood

At about 03:25 on 21 August 1942 a Short Stirling bomber of 149 Squadron flew into Gibhill Wood, near Cornwood, on the south-western edge of Dartmoor. All seven crew died. It was returning from mine-laying off the Gironde estuary near Bordeaux. A granite memorial stands in the wood.

• Aircraft: Short Stirling Mk I, serial R9329, 'V for Victor'
• Unit: 149 Squadron RAF, from RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk
• Date: Early hours of 21 August 1942 (took off 20:45 on 20 August)
• Crew: Seven, all killed
• Memorial: SX 59428 59875 (Imperial War Museums register)

What happened

The navigator's log survived. Its last entry, about ten minutes before the crash, reads "03.15 completely lost". The RAF accident report, as quoted on one website, says the aircraft had been heavily engaged by ground defences over France and was probably damaged, then flew low on the way back and hit rising ground. A relative of one crewman has suggested it was shot at over Plymouth because its recognition signals were off. The page that reports this says there is no conclusive evidence for that, and I have found none. A young boy is said to have seen the aircraft coming in on fire and trying to climb.

What you can see

A granite memorial, a rectangular standing stone with black lettering, unveiled in 2011 after a campaign begun in 2009 by four local men. Its inscription says the Stirling of 149 Squadron crashed here with the loss of seven aircrew on 21 August 1942, lists the crew and ends "We will remember them". Poppies are usually left around it. On a beech tree nearby, two crosses were carved by a member of the RAF recovery team; their size has been measured over the years, and some incised numbers beside them are thought to be dates.

Access

The wood lies next to the public footpath between Lutton and Quick Bridge on the Lee Moor to Cornwood road, on the Delamore estate, about 200 m along the track from Gibhill Cottages. The wood had been felled by August 2025, so older maps may mislead. Please stay on the path.

All military aircraft crash sites in the UK are protected by the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986. It is an offence to dig, move or take anything from one without a licence from the Ministry of Defence, and many are war graves. Look, photograph, leave everything where it is.

Do not confuse

The Short Stirling that came down beside the Lee Moor clay works on 12 September 1944, killing seven, is a different aircraft.