IT was a disaster that shook Bournemouth to its core when a World War Two plane plummeted into a residential street killing two civilians and its entire crew.

But for one family descended from one of the civilians its a moment that bought them together which they commemorated at a unique service.

Thousands across the country stopped for two minutes at 11am today for Armistice Day.

And the Chisletts remembered one of their own who died when the engines of an RAF Handley Page Halifax bomber, tail number JP 137, failed and it plunged to the ground at Wimborne Road minutes later.

Percy Chislett was one of two residents who died in the disaster, shortly after 1am on March 21, 1944.

Now his descendants are much better acquainted - all because of great niece Susan Chislett's efforts to find out more from the family tree.

She said: "I was researching long lost family. None of the family knew about [the disaster]; it wasn't passed down, and its only because I got put in contact with a local librarian that I got in touch with people and it all escalated from there. I've got all these third cousins now."

Rev Christopher Colledge led the small ceremony of around 20 people - some of whom were Moordown residents come to pay their respects.

"It's my honour to be here today," he said. "Whatever our faith, whatever our beliefs, we come here to remember those who died in the Halifax Aircraft disaster but also for us personally to remember those who have been specifically in our lives and those who have given their lives for world peace.

"Let us remember and commend to his sure-keeping those who have died for their country in war; those who we know and those who's memory we treasure especially at this memorial."