Palterton brothers' bravery during WW2 air crash remembered with new plaque

At around midnight on March 22, 1944 a bomber flown by members of the Canadian Air Force had engine trouble over Mansfield while returning to the Dishforth base in Yorkshire.

Three men managed to bail but another four - Sergeant Pilot Ray Collver, Russell Pym, Bill Andrews and Carl Starnes – were still inside when the Halifax Bomber LK930 crashed between Palterton and Scarcliffe.

Brian Greenway, who lives at Dunston in Chesterfield, only heard about the crash last year.

The 80-year-old said: "Everyone was talking about the Mi Amigo plane crash in Sheffield last year and it was only when someone said ‘What about the crash near Chesterfield?’ that I started doing some research."

In the past 12 months Brian has researched the crash, which claimed the lives of three Canadians, and also the story of two brothers from Palterton who rescued one of the crew from the plane.

“They were so brave,” he said. “The crash happened at about midnight so it woke people up and as everyone went to the scene the plane was on fire and the ammunition on board was going off so it created a blazing inferno.

"No one knew what to do but one man went into the plane to try and help."

That man, George Calow, was joined by his brother Albert. Inside the aircraft they used their hats to beat the flames on airman Carl Starnes' clothes and drag him out to safety. He was taken to Chesterfield Royal Hospital but later died from his injuries.

Brian said: "I couldn't imagine going into a burning plane to save the lives of strangers, they were so selfless with their actions and needed months of hospital appointments afterwards to treat their burned skin.

"Over the years I think people have forgotten what happened here but I have had a plaque made to go next to the memorial so we can all continue to remember the bravery of the two brothers.”