Having only started running The Hop Pole Inn last summer, new live-in manager Rosalind Barker knew little of the pub’s connection to an Australian war hero.

“We opened on the August Bank Holiday last year so we haven’t really had much time in here,” Ms Barker said of the venue in Nettlestead, near Maidstone.

But now the pub, owned by James Porter and Bill Webb, will welcome representatives from the Australian Embassy this June.

Richmond Anthony Barrett Blumer was born in New South Wales and died when his Spitfire plummeted to the ground in fields behind the pub, in Nettlestead Green, on June 25, 1944.

Flying had been curtailed for most of the day due to bad weather but warrant officer Mr Blumer took part in the last patrol of that day.

After the patrol headed home to West Malling, he landed at the advanced landing ground at Staplehurst to refuel. He took off again but crashed just short of his destination.

Mr Blumer was just 23 when he died. He was buried in Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey.

Although locals were aware of the death of a Spitfire pilot in Nettlestead Green during the war - a number of them having been eyewitnesses - it was not until 1992 that further investigations were made by aviation archaeologists.

They were given permission by Roy Tucker, the landowner, to excavate the site of the crash where they found items, including a flying helmet, fragments of uniform, seat harness, a watch and coins which were taken away for cleaning and conservation.

Investigations revealed the pilot had been Mr Blumer and permission was given to the archaeologists to erect a memorial in his honour.

On the 50th anniversary of Mr Blumer's death, June 25, 1994, the memorial was dedicated by the Rev Alison Leigh, then Rector of Nettlestead, during a short service.

Since 2005, the village has held an annual service in his memory and, this year, the Hop Pole Inn has organised its own special tribute to him.

Ms Barker said: “We are opening up a games room and we are naming it after Anthony Barrett Blumer, who died in the plane crash.”

The games room, which will be officially opened on June 26 as part of the day's events and will include television screens, a darts board and a pool table, will be opened by Nettlestead’s friends from Down Under.

Usually, the service is held on June 25 but will be held a day later this year, at 11am at the pub.

Ms Barker said: “We have them coming along for the remembrance of this gentleman.

“Apparently, they usually do the remembrance on the 25th every June but, this year, the Saturday is June 26.

“So this year, they are doing it on the Saturday because people are, obviously, working during the week.”

As well as the games room, a climbing frame has also been added for children to play on.

Ms Barker explained how she had first become aware of Mr Blumer.

“A lady called Jackie Bennett deals with the memorial every year,” she said.

“When she was telling us about it, we thought it would be nice to honour him and open up a games room in his name and do it on that day.

“I'm from Eltham, so I didn’t know anything about Anthony Barrett Blumer.

"It was only one of the customers telling me that they do the remembrance service every year that made me aware.

“They do something on Remembrance Day as well but the Australians don’t come down here on Remembrance Day, they only come down here on that particular day.”

While the games room will be officially opened in June, it will be available for use as soon as government guidelines allow, with pubs currently allowed to open indoors from May 17.

But Ms Barker hopes the day will help to promote the fact the pub has changed hands.

She said: “It helps to let people know that it is under new management.

“Some of that will happen through word-of-mouth anyway when we re-open but we are more interested in making people aware of this Australian gentleman whose plane crashed at the back of the pub."

There are also plans in place for a gallery of photos of Mr Blumer to be added in the restaurant area.

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