ON A similar theme, at 8.49pm on January 13 – last Sunday – a hardy group of souls gathered at the scene in Darlington where, 68 years ago, Pilot Officer William McMullen crashed his bomber into farmland, killing himself, but sparing the residents in the nearby houses.

One of those attending the ceremony, Bill Gillham, brought a piece of wreckage salvaged from the crash scene.

Which led the organiser of the memorial, Howard Wilson, to wonder… The crash site between Yarm Road and McMullen Road has recently been redeveloped.

A Travelodge and steak house are opening very close to where the brave Canadian crashed his Lancaster.

Please let Echo Memories know if anyone has spotted any more of the plane while the building work was going on.