Help with Whitley MkV Z6476 10 OTU.

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by stevej60, Jul 20, 2018.

  1. stevej60

    stevej60 Active Member

    Hi folk's, I wonder if anyone can help with the scheme and codes carried by the above aircraft at the
    time of it's loss in a training accident in July 1941, my village churchyard has the grave of P/O James
    Graney who sadly died as a result of the accident.
    TIA Steve.
     
  2. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    See halfway down this web page
    .
    Took off from Abingdon on a night navigation flight in moonlight conditions. Strayed from track and whilst flying at 2,000 ft at roughly 01:15 am struck a barrage balloon cable near Quinton, 6 miles SSW of Stratford upon Avon. On hitting the ground the Whitley burst into flames All 6 board were killed and are buried in various cemeteries around the UK.
    F/Lt D U Lowson DFC; P/O N McCarthy; Sgt G E Buckingham RCAF; Sgt G Farbrother; Sgt S F Drummond and Sgt James Graney.
    McCarthy, Buckingham and Farbrother are buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.
    (courtesy Chorley's Bomber Command Losses Volume 7)
    No aircraft codes given but No 10 OTU used RK as a unit code.

    One small point: the normal crew for a Whitley was 5, so they were carrying an extra crew member, which ought to have resulted in better navigation and look out for obstacles on a moonlit night.

    The London Gazette of September 1939 confirmed P/O D U Lowson from Acting P/O wef 29 August 1939.
    It would seem that Lowson was the instructor, with a 5 man crew under training.

    His grave was reported as badly overgrown, hopefully no longer the case?
    CWGC Headstone/Memorial Error Reports and results.
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  4. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Doh! Missed the "Remembering Today" aspect - didn't check on other crew Names!
    Thread should have been posted 2 weeks earlier in time for 7/7!
     
    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Lowson grave still the same.I have reported again

    upload_2018-10-12_20-13-42.png
     

    Attached Files:

    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  6. DiSyst

    DiSyst New Member

    I think you will find this aircraft crashed at Quinton Birmingham B32, not Quinton village 6 miles SSW of Stratford upon Avon. It crashed on open land that is now Warple Road and Ridgacre Lane after hitting a barrage balloon cable in an area now known as Woodgate Valley.
    Hope this helps.
     

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