AN author is piecing together the details of wartime air crashes in the North-East.

Philip Smith, 41 and a postman, is focussing on incidents in the former County Durham districts of Derwentside and Weardale, as well as Gateshead.

But, in addition, his book will also have information about fallen pilots dating back to the beginning of aviation in the region.

Mr Smith, who lives in Whickham, said: “I have always been into aviation from the age of age of nine or ten.

“I just loved aircraft, especially wartime in the beginning, and I wanted to know how many came down in the area all those years ago and what it must have been like.

“At first it was just military aircraft but now it is all, right from when flight actually began.”

Mr Smith has studied RAF documents and squadron books and old copies of The Northern Echo on microfilm at Darlington library.

He has also had articles in local newspapers to appeal for eyewitnesses to come forward.

Mr Smith said: “People come out with the most amazing stuff. They are the best people to talk to because during the wartime they were about eight or nine years old.

“What is amazing for me is that all of these years later, because of my research, I am able to give them the exact dates and details of the crash, the pilot’s name and picture of him from the local newspaper archives.

“Most people I come across have got great memories and are able to pinpoint these crash sites.”

Three years Mr Smith set up the excavation of a crash site near Blanchland in Northumberland after he was contacted by a man who saw a Spitfire crash when he was around 11 or 12.

Mr Smith said: “I asked him to draw a rough sketch of how far away from the road the Spitfire came down. He drew a little map with an X on a bit of paper and his crude map was almost spot on. It was unbelievable.

“After I got the necessary permissions I was able to excavate the site and I found a bit of the Spitfire.

“It was amazing, like striking gold and because it came down in a peat bog was in mint condition so I keep it in the garage.”

Mr Smith would like to hear from anyone who has a story to tell about air crashes in the area he is researching.

He added: “It includes Stanley area where there has been loads of accidents, Consett and Weardale.

“There has never been a definitive book written about the crashes in our area.

“I have got database of hundred of accidents, but I would like to get more information from people who were there at the time.”