We should never forget that our Service personnel risk their lives - and sometimes unfortunately lose them - in peacetime as well as in war.

One such tragic incident occurred in West Malling 70 years ago this month on May 22, 1952.

It involved an Avro Lancaster Mark III bomber of 203 Squadron adapted for maritime reconnaissance with 11 on board and cost the lives of four of them.

The plane, registration RE200, was based at RAF St Eval in Cornwall, but was on detachment to RAF West Malling to take part in night-time exercises with the fighter aircraft based there.

At the time, West Malling was home to 25 and 85 Squadrons, flying respectively Vampire and Meteor jet fighters.

The Lancaster's role was to home in the fighters on their targets by dropping flares over small fast surface craft for the fighters to attack.

The flares were of 75,000 candle power and each about 4ft long. Ten flares were carried in the bomb-bay of the aircraft and released using the normal bomb-release mechanism.

On release, a firing pin operated an explosive charge which ejected the flare from its container, caused it to ignite and also deployed a parachute to slow its descent.

The crew had not been together long. Only the signaller, Flight Sergeant William McKune, and the Flight Engineer, Sgt Thomas Redwick, had flown together with any regularity.

The other crew members were the captain, Ft Lt Dinnes, the navigator Flt Lt Harry King, along with Flt Lt R.Owen, and Flt Sgt's P.H.Court, J.Murzyn and T.Lewes,

Also on board were Leading Aircraftmen John Bacon, Raymond Pearson and AC2 R.J.Barnard, who were stationed at West Malling and who had asked to go along as passengers for the experience.

Before departure, some of the crew had gone for a drink at the local pub, The Startled Saint.

The exercise carried out over the North Sea between the UK and Holland had gone as planned, and Flt Lt Redwick, whose job it was to launch the flares from the bomb aimer's position in the nose confirmed that the plane's circuit board showed that all flare positions were empty before returning to his position beside the navigator.

However, as they returned home at about 1am and lowered the undercarriage to land, a fierce fire developed in the bomb-bay, flooding the nose compartment with smoke. The pilot notified West Malling and attempted an emergency landing but blinded by the smoke he overshot the landing strip, ploughing through a hedgerow and shrub at Latters Farm in Mereworth.

The aircraft split in two at the rear of the bomb bay, which was the weakest point. The debris was scattered over a wide area.

A subsequent investigation found that one of the flares had not dropped properly. The flares were attached by a cord to the plane, which as they dropped pulled a pin to start the ignition process. It is thought that vibration from lowering the undercarriage subsequently caused the flare to drop onto the now closed bomb bays doors, where it exploded. The crew tried opening the bomb-bay doors again but couldn't drop the flare.

Subsequently, alterations were made to the length of the cord so that if the same thing happened again, the flare would not explode while still in the aircraft.

Although the dust kicked up by the plane's belly landing put out the flames, the crash still claimed the lives of four of those on board: Flt Lt King, Flt Sgt McKune and LACs Bacon and Pearson. The Lancaster slid some 150 yards along the ground, through young apple trees and gooseberry bushes before coming to a halt.

Fire tenders from Maidstone, West Malling and Borough Green and the Fire and Rescue unit from the RAF station dashed to the scene.

Flt Lt Redwick was able to walk away from the crash with only bruised ribs and a back strain.

Flt Lt Dinnes had a broken leg and severe burns to his hands and arms received while trying to land the plane.

Flt L Owen and Sgt Court also suffered serious injuries, while Flt Sgt J.Murzyn, Sgt T. Lewes, and AC2 R.J. Barnard suffered only minor injuries.

"Seventy years later, it's still a vivid memory. I will never forget that sight."

The tragedy had been the third crash in Flt Lt King's career.

During the war, he had been shot down in the Middle East but avoided capture by enemy forces. Returning to England, he began a second tour of duty and was shot down again and this time captured by the Germans and made a PoW in Stalag Luft 11.

There he had been of 'X' Organisation that had organised the Great Escape of 76 officers in March 1944, though he himself was not one of the 'ticket holders' who made the break.

The Lancaster crash happened at 1am, waking the farmer, a Mr A Kemp, who observed that it was the fifth time a plane had crashed on his land.

Flt Sgt William McKune is buried at West Malling Parish Church, grave number 205.

David Curd of Wyvern Close, Snodland, was doing his National Service with 85 Squadron and was on duty at West Malling Airfield that night. He witnessed the Lancaster pass low overhead. He later gave evidence to the inquiry that he could see the fire in the bomb-bay and that the cockpit was full of smoke.

This week, Mr Curd, now 91, said: "Seventy years later, it's still a vivid memory. I will never forget that sight."

There is only one known photograph of the crashed plane, as the the Government of the day immediately slapped a D-notice on the accident prohibiting any publicity.

West Malling Airfield today is covered by the Kings Hill estate.

RE200 was part of a production run of 87 Lancasters built between March and June 1945.