Glancing through todays Northumberland Gazette I came across a picture of the Monument to 48 pilots killed during training missions from the airfield. Milfield was used for ground attach training in the run-up to D-Day by such aircraft as Typhoons and Hurricanes. 48 seems a high rate of attrition on training missions but apparently the pilots many trained in Rhodesia, South Africa, Canada and the USA were not used to the vagries of Northumbrian weather. There is a monument inscribed with the pilots names - The airfield now hosts the Borders Gliding Club.
Not only the Northumbrian weather; but Milfield's proximity to the Cheviot Hills proved a killer.I lived near this airfield during the war and often cycled there to see the aircraft. As I remember it and position among the hills I am surprised it did not kill more! Winfield the NF OTU across the Tweed had quite a few fatals too. jainso31
Good post Jedburgh. Following up on your article it seems according to another website Maelmin Heritage Trail, Milfield that there were 80 lads killed there during training of the 1500 there in a few short years. I have (5) RAAF lads listed listed there in my "Posting at Death" sheet however none of them were on the memorial (Only RAF & RCAF) Strangely, the surnames are all there (not my RAAF lads though) One of the RAAF lads was Gordon Andrew McDougall: P/O McDougall was killed when Hurricane 1 W9145 of 59 OTU collided with another Hurricane, while practising formation flying and crashed at Belton Ford, about 2 m WSW of S of Dunbar, a few miles E of East Fortune. 59 OTU was based at RAF Milfield, just over the border in England. DIXON, JAMES EDWARD MANNERS Pilot Officer 404930 59 O T U 27/12/1941 29 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Sec. C. Grave 21. LLANTWIT MAJOR CEMETERY UK Glamorganshire CWGC :: Casualty Details Pilot Officer James Edward Manners Dixon of the Royal Australian Air Force, aged 29 and the son of James Manners Dixon and Effie Constance Dixon, of Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia was killed when Spitfire X4722 flown by him on the December 27, 1941, crashed at approximately 11.25hrs near Port Talbot. KNIGHT, JOHN MAXWELL Sergeant 400807 59 O T U 13/05/1942 22 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Ward 11. Sec. P. Grave 34. CARLISLE (DALSTON ROAD) CEMETERY UK Cumberland CWGC :: Casualty Details McDOUGALL, GORDON ANDREW Pilot Officer 425726 59 O T U 6/09/1943 21 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Sec. E. Grave 17. HADDINGTON (ST. MARTIN'S) NEW BURIAL GROUND UK East Lothian CWGC :: Casualty Details O'KEEFFE, DANIEL JOSEPH Flight Sergeant 414870 59 O T U 7/08/1943 21 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Sec. C. Row A. Grave 4. HARROGATE (STONEFALL) CEMETERY UK Yorkshire CWGC :: Casualty Details TAVERNER, WILLIAM CHARLES Flight Sergeant 416464 59 O T U 26/07/1943 21 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Sec. C. Row A. Grave 2. HARROGATE (STONEFALL) CEMETERY UK Yorkshire CWGC :: Casualty Details
Wasn't Richard Hilary author of "The Last Enemy" killed when at Winfield-or was it Charterhall? jainso
Wasn't Richard Hilary author of "The Last Enemy" killed when at Winfield-or was it Charterhall? jainso Charter Hall in a Blenheim.
or was it a Beaufighter-the controls of which were too heavy for his severely burnt hands. jainso31 No! A Blenheim V - BA 194, which crashed on Crunklaw Farm.
