This memorial stone seat commemorates all those who perished in two aircraft crashes that occurred in this area in 1938 and 1945.
The memorial was dedicated in 1987.

Rona 🐶 + Dad (John)

June 25, 2022

Memorial bench.

Dorset's worst ever air crash disaster happened on June 15, 1945, when five crew, four who were members of the Canadian airforce, and 22 passengers lost their lives.

The RAF Liberator MkIX of No.232 Squadron RAF Transport Command crashed on the spot while en route from a New Forest airfield to Palam, India.

The passengers were airmen being sent out as urgently needed groundcrew at Palam. But the plane never made it.

It impacted on the edge of what is now the Dorset Coastal Path, the wings were ripped off and the engines detached and thrown forward towards Orchard Hill Farm. There were no survivors.

The crash was not the only fatal aircraft accident at this location.

On the afternoon of Friday, March 18, 1938, a student on the torpedo course at the Torpedo Training Unit at RAF Gosport and two passengers took off in a Mk1 Swordfish K5985 on a training cross-country flight to Roborough, near Plymouth.

He is thought to have passed low over Orchard Hill Farm, clipped the top of the trees in Polar Wood - leaving sections of the aircraft in the tree tops - and nose-dived into the steep hillside some 300 yards away.

Mike The Mooching Minister.

December 3, 2025

On June 15, 1945. A RAF Liberator JT985 flying to India crashed into a ridge in the Purbeck Hills shortly after takeoff from RAF Holmsley South, killing all 27 occupants (24 passengers, 3 crew) on board. The cause was likely the pilot flying too low in poor visibility.

In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

Details

Informations

Elevation 150 m

Weather

Today

Friday 19 December

12°C

8°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 23.0 km/h

Most visited during

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

See hikes here

Take Me There

Location: Church Knowle, Purbeck, Dorset, South West England, England, United Kingdom

Other Popular Places to Check Out

Chapman's Pool

Kimmeridge Bay and Clavell Tower

Bench With a View of the Dorset Coast

View of Chapman’s Pool from Emmetts Hill

Winspit Quarry Caves

Corfe Castle

View of Houns-tout Cliff

View of Corfe Castle

Cliffs and Coastal Views, Dorset National Landscape

Clavell Tower

View of the Dorset Landscape

Corfe Castle Entrance Road

Orchard Hill Air Crash Memorial Bench

1. Kimmeridge Bay and Clavell Tower loop from Kingston — Dorset

2. View of Houns-tout Cliff – View from Swyre Head loop from Kingston

3. View from the summit of Swyre Head loop from Kingston

Other Popular Places to Check Out

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️