Peter Gibson MP for Darlington today (19 Dec) asked the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott MP if she would support naming the new Darlington Economic Campus after Pilot Officer William McMullen.
Speaking in the House of Commons Peter Gibson MP said “Can the Minister reassure my constituents that the Darlington Economic Campus will receive all the jobs that we were promised? And would she consider the proposal to name the permanent home of the Darlington Economic Campus McMullen House in honour of William McMullen in recognition of the sacrifice that William made for the people of Darlington”.
In response the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott MP responded by saying that she would be happy to meet with Gibson discuss the proposal.
On January 13, 1945, Pilot Officer William McMullen was returning to RAF Middleton St George on a training exercise when his Lancaster bomber caught fire. His six-man crew jumped to safety before he alone successfully steered the blazing plane away from the residential houses at the east end of Darlington but was killed when it crashed in a fireball into fields off what is now McMullen Road.
Darlington Economic Campus last week announced 200 more jobs in addition to the 600 already created with 80 percent going to the local region with more jobs yet to come
