There are so many airmen buried in Ollerton Cemetery because the area was home to several Royal Air Force airfields during the Second World War, including RAF Gamston, RAF Worksop (now Worksop/Gamston Airport) and RAF Ossington. Other fliers interred at Ollerton took off elsewhere in the UK but came down in this area of Nottinghamshire.

The cemetery contains 23 graves of World War Two airmen – 22 British and one Dutch. Many of these deaths were a result of flying accidents during training flights, which were a significant hazard of wartime aviation. Non-operational accidents accounted for around 8,000 deaths and approximately 12% of all Bomber Command casualties.

Deaths were caused by various factors, including structural failures of older aircraft not always rigorously maintained, severe weather conditions and errors made by inexperienced airmen learning to fly complex aircraft. The pressure to produce combat-ready crews quickly also contributed to the dangers.

The airmen buried at Ollerton include personnel from various Commonwealth nations, such as the UK, Canada (RCAF), Australia (RAAF), and New Zealand (RNZAF), reflecting the international nature of the Allied effort.