war Belton Common was used by the Suffolk Regiment for military and training purposes during World War I. As German U-Boats disrupted imports, Belton was used to grow produce with various schemes such as growing potatoes in allotments and gardens. During World War II the Royal Norfolk Regiment were billeted in Belton with many local people sharing their homes with the soldiers. Belton's most famous incident of the war was when American B-24 Liberator bomber "Belle of the East" crash landed near Sandy Lane. The crew survived the crash and were aided by the villagers. A plaque on the Tavern pub commemorates the incident with a nearby street bearing the name "Belle of the East Way". Belton hosted evacuees from Romford, Essex and a few settled in the village. Belton experienced at least one air raid with around two thousand bombs being dropped mostly on the village common. Post war After 1950 the population of the village increased greatly, especially during the rapid expansion of the 1970s. On 26 September 1990 the parish was renamed from "Belton" to "Belton with Browston". Notable residents Sir John Mills — Actor. Spent his early years in Belton as his father was the headmaster of the village school. He recalled on Desert Island Discs many years later that his first public performance was in a concert in the village institute organised by his father. Jessica-Jane Applegate - Paralympic swimmer. A gold postbox close to the Tavern pub in the village recognises her Paralympic Gold in 2012. War Memorial Belton's war memorial takes the form of two plaques located inside Belton Church. The following names are listed for the First World War: Corporal Alfred J. Arrowsmith (1886-1918), 7th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment Private James H. Sharman (d.1918), 6th Battalion, Leinster Regiment Private Walter E. Young (1894-1917), 27th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps Private Robert W. Fuller (d.1916), 2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment Private Ernest C. Brooks (1892-1916), 9th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment Private George A. Saul (d.1918), 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment Trimmer F. Robert Newark (1893-1915), HM Drifter Frons Olivae See also Moorlands C of E Primary Academy References Ordnance Survey (2005). OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads. . Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household counts for unparished urban areas and all parishes. Retrieved 2 December 2005. Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 1 Part II Non-metropolitan