Memorial Stone for Local RAF Hero

Dunhouse Quarry recently provided a slab of Dunhouse Pink Sandstone for a memorial commemorating Group Captain David Ayton Howard, who tragically lost his life when his RAF Harrier II GR7 crashed near Barnard Castle on 18 December 1998.

Facing an unrecoverable situation after striking a telephone wire, Group Captain Howard had just 2.6 seconds to act. In those final moments, he steered the falling aircraft away from homes in Stainton Moor, ultimately crashing in a field at Shepherds Lodge farm. Since that day, he has been remembered as a hero by the local communities of Stainton and Streatlam Moor.

In October, RAF colleagues, local residents, and his family gathered to honour his bravery with the unveiling of the memorial near the crash site.