SEVEN British servicemen who lost their lives when their bomber crashed over Dartmoor during the Second World War are to be commemorated with a memorial at the site.

It was in the early hours of August 21, 1942, that a four-engined Stirling plane, returning from a mining operation off the coast of France, struck a large tree on high ground on the moor

The bomber burst into flames, killing all of those on board and littering the surrounding countryside with debris.

Rumours have surrounded the crash for years, including a suggestion the plane was accidentally shot down by anti-aircraft guns and that the site is a designated war grave because several of the crew had not been recovered.

But it has now emerged that the Stirling, a Mk 1 of 149 Squadron, had been engaged by the enemy over France, sustaining flak damage, and then became lost over Devon.

Records show that shortly after the crash, a 16-year-old local boy found broken pencils and a ruler, along with a scrap of the plane's log book which stated "03.15 completely lost".

Now a group of Dartmoor residents have decided there should be a memorial at the scene.

The nearby Delamore Estate has donated a slab of granite which is currently being carved and is expected to be put into place soon.