A RELATIVE of a Polish RAF pilot who crashed on a North-East hill during the Second War will attend a memorial ceremony next week.

The nephew of Sergeant Wladyslaw Wasolewski will leave Poland for the first time to attend the 9th annual Aviation Day held at Startforth, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, on Wednesday.

Sgt Wasolewski was piloting a Blackburn Botha with a crew of four when it crashed at Stainmore, Teesdale, in 1941.

Barnard Castle Mayor John Yarker, one of the organisers of the aviation event, said: "His nephew has been learning English for over a year so he can come to the aviation day.

"A relative from every member of the crew will now have attended every aviation day."

The day will begin at 10.30am at the Deerbolt Training Centre, at Startforth, with a number of exhibitions and demonstrations from organisations including the RAF Leeming Mountain Rescue Team, a low-flying exhibition and the Bishop Auckland Amateur Radio Club.

It is hoped members of the Great North Air Ambulance will be able to attend.

At 1.30pm, a memorial service will take place at the Deerbolt Memorial Garden.

The centrepiece for the event will be the inauguration of three flagposts that have been donated by Deerbolt Young Offenders' Institute.

Words will be said in memory of Spitfire ace Squadron Leader George Bennions, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, who died this year.

The aviation day was founded nine years ago by former prison officers Mr Yarker and Tony Galley, to commemorate aircrews who lost their lives in Teesdale.

Mr Galley said: "There have been over 80 aircraft incidents in this area over the last century and there was not one memorial for all of them."

Each year the organisers adopt a school. This year, children from Gainford Primary School will attend the event.

Anybody is welcome to attend the exhibitions or the memorial service.