Short Stirling LJ930
10.3 miles away
Surrey
Elvetham Liberator Memorial
Elvetham, near Hartley Wintney, Hampshire
Comprehensive Record
The Memorial
Graves at Brookwood Cemetery maintained by CWGC.
Type
Graves at Brookwood Cemetery; Czechoslovak section memorial
Inscription
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LocationApproximate Location
Elvetham, near Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, Hampshire
what3words: ///ended.fixated.cabs
What Happened
Carrying eighteen passengers homeward to Czechoslovakia in the weeks after the war's end, the Consolidated Liberator was on a repatriation flight when it crashed near Elvetham, Hampshire, on 5 October 1945. Piloted by Pilot Officer František Buliš of the Czechoslovak Air Force, the aircraft came down with devastating consequences. All twenty-three people on board were killed — five aircrew, among them Flight Lieutenant Václav Haňka, and eighteen passengers. There were no survivors. The victims were interred at Brookwood Military Cemetery, where the Elvetham Liberator Memorial stands as a lasting tribute to those lost on what should have been a journey home.
Community Connection
The memorial was sponsored and updated successfully on Find a Grave, with photos added by whispyblink.
Remembrance
Elvetham Air Disaster Memorial(5th October 1945)
Commemoration of the Elvetham Air Disaster which occurred on this date in 1945.
Aircraft & Operation Details
Aircraft Type
Consolidated Liberator
Squadron
Czechoslovak Air Force
Date of Loss
05/10/1945 (post-war, repatriation flight)
Crew (5 members)
Memorial Care
cwgc
Organisation
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Website
Graves at Brookwood Cemetery maintained by CWGC.
Local Contacts
These local organisations are connected to this memorial and may be able to help with information or visits.
Southampton Royal British Legionbritish legion
Local remembrance and memorial support
Further Reading
WikipediaRetrieved 2026-03-23
On 5 October 1945, Consolidated Liberator GR.VI KG867 of 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron crashed at Elvetham, Hampshire, five minutes into a repatriation flight from RAF Blackbushe to Prague. An engine fire and fuel starvation caused the crash, killing all 23 aboard.
What you'll find: The historical account of a WWII Liberator plane crash site in Elvetham, Hampshire.
All 23 victims were Czechoslovak nationals: 5 crew, 17 official passengers, and 1 stowaway. This was the largest single-loss accident involving Free Czechoslovaks in the RAF. After the crash, repatriation switched from air to surface transport.
Free Czechoslovak Air Force AssociatesRetrieved 2026-03-23
Details of the Czechoslovak section at Brookwood Military Cemetery where five aircrew from the Elvetham crash are buried. Thirteen passengers share a common grave in the Old Roman Catholic Ground of the civilian cemetery.
What you'll find: Explore details about the Czechoslovak section and graves of Elvetham Liberator Memorial aircrew at Brookwood Military Cemetery.
Burials took place on 11 October 1945. Five aircrew in the Czechoslovak military section; 13 passengers in a communal grave in Long Avenue, Old Roman Catholic Ground.
Find a GraveRetrieved 2026-03-23
Memorial entry for the Elvetham Air Disaster on Find a Grave, documenting the memorial at Brookwood Cemetery for the 23 Czechoslovak personnel killed on 5 October 1945.
What you'll find: The Elvetham Liberator Memorial: Commemoration of 23 Czechoslovak victims in a poignant Find a Grave tribute at Brookwood Cemetery from 5th October 1945.
Memorial located at Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey. Lists all 23 victims.
Nearby Memorials
Sources
Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Free Czechoslovak Air Force Associates (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Find a Grave (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Wikipedia (Elvetham air crash) (website)
Credits & Acknowledgements
Record compiled by
Keith Binley
Last updated 2026-04-09
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