On the west side of the road in the playground

A bronze plaque inscribed in English text is attached to a trapezoidal prism stone. The plaque has the US national emblem on the top left, and the UK Coat of Arms in the top right. US Air Force in the top centre.

The memorial remembers the August 23, 1944, Freckleton Air Disaster, which killed 61 people.

From the Bureau of Aircraft Incidents archives (https://www.baaa-acro.com):

The crew was performing a circular test flight at RAF Warton after a B-24 (42-50291) 'Classy Chassis II'  plane had been refurbished. Following an uneventful flight, the crew started the approach to runway 08 and received the authorization to land. At that time, weather conditions deteriorated. From a height of a dozen feet, the aircraft went out of control, banked left, and came with wings near vertical before crashing in a huge explosion in the center of the village of Freckleton. The aircraft hit several houses, a school, and a cafe as well. All three crew members were killed, and 58 others on the ground: 38 children and two teachers in the school, and 18 people in the cafe: seven US military personnel, four British officer,s and seven civilians. To date, this was considered the worst air disaster in the world. 

Crew of the B-24:
1st Lt John A. Bloemendal, pilot,
T/Sgt James M. Parr, copilot,
Sgt Gordon W. Kinney, flight engineer.

Another nearby memorial in the Holy Trinity Church Churchyard remembers all the civilians who were killed in this disaster.

The account of this accident is more fully described here: https://laituk.org/B-24%2042-50291.htm

Source of images: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

THIS PLAYGROUND

PRESENTED TO THE

CHILDREN OF FRECKLETON

BY THEIR

AMERICAN NEIGHBORS

OF BASE AIR DEPOT NO.2 USAAF

IN RECOGNITION

AND REMEMBRANCE OF

THEIR COMMON LOSS

IN THE DISASTER OF

AUGUST 23^RD 1944