The Hereford Times aims to honour the memory of war-time scientist Alan Blumlein.

We do so on behalf of a nation that has much to thank him for.

And we are gladly picking up the mantle of responsibility because he died on our patch, in a horrific plane crash on the banks of the river Wye in 1942.

The Halifax bomber in which Blumlein was flying had been converted into a flying lab for tests on top-secret radar technology.

But it caught fire at 15,000ft and plunged to earth killing him and all the other 10 passengers and crew, including five other scientists.

Blumlein's immense contribution to the war effort, as well as the development of stereo sound and other technical innovations, was hushed up after his death on the orders of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

He perhaps felt the loss of such an important scientist would give succour to the Nazis as they plotted their conquest of Europe.

So while the contributions of other Second World War boffins such as Alan Turing (who helped crack the Nazis' Enigma code) and radar pioneer Bernard Lovell have been lauded, Blumlein's role has been largely overlooked.

That is why we are appealing to Hereford Times readers to help us pay tribute to his memory.

We plan a permanent memorial to Blumlein and his colleagues who died in that crash near Welsh Bicknor 76 years ago.

It will take the form of a metal plaque mounted on a plinth near a riverside path overlooking the site of the tragedy.

Our appeal has the support of the Blumlein family and Jerome Vaughan, on whose land the memorial will be placed. It is being spearheaded by Garth Lawson, the Hereford Times walks writer, who has long believed a tribute to Blumlein was overdue.

We aim to raise £5,000 to pay for the tribute (any money received over what is required for the memorial will be donated to an appropriate charity). Thank you for your generosity.