80th anniversary of Lancaster bomber crash in Wigston

Published: Thursday, 5 February 2026

This year marks the 80th anniversary of a Lancaster bomber plane crashing in Wigston.

On 4 February 1946 the bomber crashed on Long Street. The six-man air crew, from 300 Polish Squadron, were all tragically killed in the crash.
The RAF Avro Lancaster bomber was on a routine flight. It is believed the bomber was hit by lightning during a violent thunderstorm.

Avoiding the streets and houses in Wigston, the pilot flew towards a ploughed field behind Long Street Modern School (now the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Records Office) and where All Saints Church of England Primary School stands today. The bomber crashed at about 1.25 pm, missing the Long Street Modern School by less than 10 feet, 3 meters. It also narrowly avoided hitting a nursery on Central Avenue.

When the bomber crashed, there were 80 children in the Long Street Modern School. They had only just come into the school from the playground, because of the storm.

Eyewitnesses told how the bomber, appeared out of the sky as a ball of flames and there was a loud explosion as it flew over Bell Street, before crashing behind the school.

Due to the heroic actions of the crew, there were no deaths in Wigston. Some residents suffered minor injuries. A passenger on a passing Midland Red bus was injured. The Beeches on Aylestone Lane, was severely damaged, as parts of the bomber crashed into the house. About 100 houses around the crash site were affected, with blown out windows and dislodged roof tiles.

The Polish air crew, Pilot: Wing Commander Romuald Sulinski KSOVM D.S.O D.F.C, Navigator: Wladyslaw Jedrzejczyk, Flight Engineer: Felicks Mikula, Wireless Operator: Waclaw Brzezinski, Air Bomber: Michal Szwandt and Air Gunner: Czeslaw Sulgut were buried on 7 February 1946 in the Polish war graves section at Newark-Upon-Trent cemetery, Lincolnshire.

There is a memorial plaque, to the crew, inside All Saints Church of England School, and an information board about the crash outside Elizabeth Court on Long Street. A yearly memorial service takes place at the school, and close links are still maintained with the families of the crew in Poland.

This year's 80th anniversary memorial service, held on the 4 February, was led by the Reverend David Cowie. Pupils sang, read poems and laid candles in thememorial garden in the school. Relatives of the airman attended and joined together with the people of Wigston, to remember their bravery.

Oadby & Wigston Borough Council would like to thank the Greater Wigston Historical Society for their help in providing information for this page.