Almost 44 years after a fatal plane crash which cost the lives of two airmen, their heroism is being remembered.

Residents of the village of Mawbray, on the Solway coastline, had a narrow escape when disaster struck on a low level reconnaissance training flight.

On December 17, 1975, RAF pilot Lieutenant Brian Jellicoe and navigator Flight Lieutenant Keith Tennet just cleared homes in the village before crashing on the beach.

The two brave men lost their lives but saved countless others by ‘clinging to the controls’ as their Phantom plane dived, in an accident thought to have been caused by mechanical problems.

As the 44th anniversary approaches, west Cumbrian Alan Warwick, of Maryport, has called for them to be remembered.

Mr Warwick, who has spent years searching for crash sites and researching the history surrounding the incidents, said: “It is so important to remember these servicemen for such heroic actions. We must take the time to recall what happened.”

Over the years Mr Warwick has visited many sites, and hopes to continue bringing the memories of these people back into the minds of people today.

At the time eyewitness Olive Robinson, of Solway View Farm, recalled how she had been feeding her chickens when she witnessed the plane.

Mrs Robinson said: “It was flying on its back over the fields behind the village, heading towards the open sea.

“It was almost on its back upside down and as it came to the houses at the roadside, the engine roared terribly loudly and it just lifted up to clear the houses by 30 feet.

“Then it turned slightly and suddenly nose-dived. There was a deafening bang and then a flash of flames and smoke.”

Another onlooker Eric Thompson, 69, from Maryport, recalled the terrifying moment the plane crashed saying: “It is something you never forget, I was just at work at the time. It was a shock, I will never forget that image.”

The memory of the crash has been with him ever since 1975 and he admitted it will always be part of him.

The RAF records said: “Jellicoe had completed one low-level reconnaissance training sortie on the morning of the accident in the same aircraft, and in the afternoon had taken off again from RAF Coningsby for another such sortie at 1.35pm with a different navigator.

“At approximately 2pm, the aircraft reached the start point of their training exercise, and the aircraft made a diving bank to begin it’s run. During the dive, the aircraft seemed to stall and crashed onto the beach near Mawbray.

“Both crew were killed. The cause was later assessed to most likely have been a blockage in the fuel system.”

Following the incident, an RAF spokesman said: “The dead crewmen were both married with young children, were experienced airmen flying on a routine navigation sortie.

“They could never have ejected at the height they seem to have been flying just before the crash.

“They would have had to have been several hundred feet above the ground to get clear.”

A spokesman from the RAF Coningsby Lincolnshire base, referring to reports the pilot had deliberately steered away from homes, said: “Obviously our pilots will avoid killing anybody on the ground if they possibly can.”

On the day of the crash, emergency services raced to the area on a mission to rescue any casualties and help those injured.

Ambulances travelled from Carlisle, Maryport, Aspatria and Silloth to help.

Firefighters rushed across the beach to help with the search and check the scattered wreckage.

The plane left a huge crater in the ground and debris was scatted all round the area.

One of the men was found still strapped into his ejector seat.