High winds during Storm Dave damaged and uprooted a large tree close to the Airman’s Grave in Nantwich.
Engineers from Cheshire East Council were called out over the weekend after the high winds hit on Saturday.
The tree was uprooted and fell towards the memorial and nearby gardens off Shrewbridge Road, causing concern it could damage the treasured memorial.
It is now leaning badly, held up by neighbouring trees and a hedge. The trunk has split and the roots can be seen.
Nantwich Town Council Cllr Riddell Graham, who lives near the site of the incident, said: “We didn’t hear anything in the night, but those huge gusts of wind clearly damaged the tree.
“I reported it to Cheshire East Council at the weekend and I have to pay tribute to their swift action and particularly to Business Manager Charlie Griffies.
“Within hours the tree was inspected and is now surrounded by ‘hazard tape’ to make sure people keep clear.
“No doubt Cheshire East will be dealing with it in the next few days.”
The Airman’s Grave is a memorial to Lt Arthur L Brown, an American pilot who lost his life on January 14th 1944 as he struggled to bring his stricken Thunderbolt plane down away from Nantwich and so avoided many deaths.
Each year in January, there is a memorial service to pay respects to the 23-year-old New York man, who was a member of the United States Army Air Force.
This is not a grave it is a memorial. The pilot was never found.