FORGOTTEN for decades, the crew of a Second World War bomber which crashed in north Colchester have finally been honoured with a new memorial - and a thrilling flyover.

At 4am on April 25, 1944, a Lancaster bomber crashed as it tried an emergency landing at Boxted Airfield, killing the crew of four Brits and three Canadians.

On Thursday, after two years of hard work by a group of friends who were moved after hearing stories of the crash, a monument dedicated to their memory was unveiled near the crash scene, off what is now Ipswich Road.

The history enthusiasts tracked down distant relatives of six of the seven members of 626 Squadron, and around 30 from the UK, Australia, the US and Canada were among the 200 guests at yesterday’s memorial.

See Friday's Gazette for a special report and pictures