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| Memorial plaque for RAF Spitfire crash pilot to be unveiled | Memorial plaque for RAF Spitfire crash pilot to be unveiled |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| The plaque was was unveiled during a dedication ceremony earlier | The plaque was was unveiled during a dedication ceremony earlier |
| A plaque honouring an RAF pilot who died in a Spitfire crash has been unveiled. | A plaque honouring an RAF pilot who died in a Spitfire crash has been unveiled. |
| Sqn Ldr Mark Long was killed when his plane, which belonged to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), crashed in a field near RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on 25 May 2024. | Sqn Ldr Mark Long was killed when his plane, which belonged to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), crashed in a field near RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on 25 May 2024. |
| The commemorative plaque was installed in the village of Market Stainton, near Market Rasen, and unveiled during a dedication ceremony on Saturday at 13:00 BST. | |
| On the day of his death, Sqn Ldr Long, 43, had been due to fly over the village as part of a remembrance ceremony for the crew of a Lancaster bomber, which crashed nearby in 1943, organisers said. | On the day of his death, Sqn Ldr Long, 43, had been due to fly over the village as part of a remembrance ceremony for the crew of a Lancaster bomber, which crashed nearby in 1943, organisers said. |
| Sqn Ldr Mark Long was killed when his Spitfire crashed near RAF Coningsby in May 2024 | Sqn Ldr Mark Long was killed when his Spitfire crashed near RAF Coningsby in May 2024 |
| The plaque for Sqn Ldr Long was organised by Dan Grant, who was also involved in the memorial event for the Lancaster crew. | The plaque for Sqn Ldr Long was organised by Dan Grant, who was also involved in the memorial event for the Lancaster crew. |
| His cousin, Flying Officer Francis Archie Randall, was the pilot of the bomber when it came down in the village on its return from a raid on Berlin on 16 December 1943. | His cousin, Flying Officer Francis Archie Randall, was the pilot of the bomber when it came down in the village on its return from a raid on Berlin on 16 December 1943. |
| Mr Grant, a retired airline captain and aviation historian who lives in Quebec, Canada, raised money for a memorial dedicated to Flying Officer Randall – who was just 21 when he died – and the rest of the crew. | Mr Grant, a retired airline captain and aviation historian who lives in Quebec, Canada, raised money for a memorial dedicated to Flying Officer Randall – who was just 21 when he died – and the rest of the crew. |
| He said Sqn Ldr Long had been on his way to perform a fly-past at a dedication ceremony for the memorial when his Spitfire crashed. | He said Sqn Ldr Long had been on his way to perform a fly-past at a dedication ceremony for the memorial when his Spitfire crashed. |
| The commemorative plaque has been installed in the village of Market Stainton | The commemorative plaque has been installed in the village of Market Stainton |
| Mr Grant said he decided to pay tribute to Sqn Ldr Long with a new plaque in his honour. | |
| He paid tribute to Sqn Ldr Long as a man who "dedicated himself to preserving the history of the RAF, as well as defending the freedoms we now enjoy", adding that he could not be "more proud" of him. | He paid tribute to Sqn Ldr Long as a man who "dedicated himself to preserving the history of the RAF, as well as defending the freedoms we now enjoy", adding that he could not be "more proud" of him. |
| Funding for the plaque was provided by the Cranwell branch of the Royal Air Forces Association. | |
| Sqn Ldr Mark Sugden, the commanding officer of the BBMF, attended the memorial event and described Sqn Ldr Long as a "dear friend". | Sqn Ldr Mark Sugden, the commanding officer of the BBMF, attended the memorial event and described Sqn Ldr Long as a "dear friend". |
| "He's the person that everybody wants to be – so incredibly selfless, so incredibly gifted, but so incredibly humble with it. He was genuinely an inspiration to us all," he said. | "He's the person that everybody wants to be – so incredibly selfless, so incredibly gifted, but so incredibly humble with it. He was genuinely an inspiration to us all," he said. |
| The BBMF fleet was grounded after the crash, but has since been cleared for flying and is due to take part in events during this year's display season. | The BBMF fleet was grounded after the crash, but has since been cleared for flying and is due to take part in events during this year's display season. |
| Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. | Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. |