A touching tribute to The Forgotten Pilot of Lewesdon Hill will be erected to remember the man 80 years after his death.

Thanks to research by local farmer Andrew Frampton, he and the National Trust team will unveil a memorial for Belgian pilot Jean De Clodet on Tuesday, March 15 at 1.30pm. Joining them will be the pilot's great niece - who is travelling from Belgium, a Belgium Air Force attaché, the Rev Jo Neary and pupils and staff from Broadwindsor Primary School.

Eighty years ago, on Sunday, March 15, 1942, a plane's engine was heard spluttering above the village of Beaminster, shortly before crashing into the wooded north side of Lewesdon Hill, tragically killing the Belgian pilot, Jean De Clodet, on impact.

Jean De Clodet had been flying his Spitfire to No. 317 Squadron in Exeter, unaware the squadron had already lost eight planes that day through failed attempts to land at Bolt Head in Devon – victims of the thick fog blanketing the West Country. The eight planes had been based at RAF Northolt, west of London, and were being relocated further west to protect them from German Luftwaffe raids.

Villagers erected a wooden cross on the crash site and every anniversary would place flowers beside the cross until it disappeared under a carpet of fallen leaves in the 1960s.

During lockdown, local farmer Andrew Frampton researched the pilot and the events that followed. He will tell this story before unveiling the memorial that will be placed near the entrance of the site.

He said: "Being a dairy farmer I have very little time off, but Covid actually afforded me time to research a story my late grandfather told me when I was a boy about a plane crash into the hill whilst him, Doug Studley and Jack Wakely were all on Home Guard duty in Broadwindsor.

"He told me they didn't have guns and so were armed with sticks made from hazel. As it was getting dark as they made their way to the wreckage they didn't know if they'd encounter German pilots with guns or if was an allied plane. That was what I remembered him telling me and so began my research.

"I really wanted to find out all about the plane, the pilot and why he was 80 miles east where he should have been. I also wanted to create a memorial for him in the crash site and if possible, trace his family. With the amazing support of the National Trust, we now have a memorial to commemorate Jean De Clodet and tell the full story."

Scott Welland of the National Trust said: "We would like to thank Andrew for his time spent researching this fascinating story. We are honoured to place a memorial to Jean De Clodet on Lewesdon Hill on the 80th anniversary of his death."

Cars can be parked at the local farmer's field and is a 10-minute walk from here to the memorial location - suitable footwear is essential. Location: What three words: taskbar.dimes.odds

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