EVERYONE is invited to a special evening to hear all about World War II stories that happened at a nearby castle, which is now the setting of Downton Abbey.

On April 3, Lady Carnarvon will be sharing stories at the Army Flying Museum in Stockbridge of air accidents and the men who lost their lives in the grounds of Highclere Castle. 

Lady Carnarvon said: “During research into the Second World War, I discovered that eight planes had come down over the estate. 

"The pilots, navigators and airmen who died were all somebody’s son, part of someone’s family and a life not lived, with most of them young Americans in their early twenties.”

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Fragments from many of the aircraft have been found across the estate, including those from the B-17 Flying Fortress named Fort Worth Jailhouse which was on a short non-operational flight to the airbase at nearby Greenham Common. 

In bad weather and poor visibility, the aircraft circled around Highclere Castle before flying off south, a course that proved fatal as the bomber clipped some trees on a large hill and crashed down in the grounds of the stately home.  

A memorial to the crew of the eight aircraft who came to rest at Highclere Castle during WW2 was unveiled in 2018 and features wreckage from one of the B17 aircraft.

The 5th Earl of Carnarvon’s life, wealth and sudden death became front-page news following his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun with Howard Carter. 

Lady Carnarvon will also be signing copies of her new book, The Earl and the Pharaoh at the event.

For more information or to book go to armyflying.com