Could anyone please tell me if there are any records for air accidents, one of my local boys is reported in a local news paper as been killed in an air accident on 9 December, 1944...he was Sergeant (Air Gnr.) William Robinson aged 19....the link below should take you to his commemoration on the CWGC web site. Thanks John. CWGC :: Casualty Details
9 December 1944. 21 OTU. Wellington III BJ782. Training. Crew. F/S. JA. Hay RAAF + Sgt. A Barker + Sgt. JH. Bell + Sgt. RG. Clements + Sgt. W. Robinson + Sgt. WH. Donaldson. The aircraft took off at 1820 hrs from Morton-in-Marsh for a night cross-country exercise. At sometime prior to 2145 hrs, the starboard engine caught fire at 5,000ft. Unable to establish their precise position the crew broadcast a number of distress calls and as a result were given a course that would take them to Barford St. John. Eyewitnesses here saw the Wellington in the circuit, losing height, but as it entered the funnels the engine note increased as if the crew were intending to overshoot. However, after crossing the airfield, it dived suddenly and came down on a railway embankment on the ENE side of the aerodrome, near the village of Adderbuy and burst into flames. Those who died rest in cemeteries across England and Northern Ireland. Sgt Donaldson escaped with little more than severe shock, for which he was treated in the local Station sick quarters. 'Bomber Command Losses Volume 7 Operational Training Units'. WR.Chorley. Vickers Wellington III BJ782 was one of 600 delivered between May and December 1942 by Vickers Armstrongs, Chester. The aircraft had operated with 29 OTU - 20 OTU and 21 OTU. Hope this is the info you are looking for John. Regards Peter.
Great report Peter. J.A. Hay RAAF was one of 50 killed with 21 OTU between 24/7/1941 and 8/4/1945 and was buried at Oxford (Botley) Cemetery as were another 349 other RAAF members. On the 8/4/1945 six RAAF members were killed on the one day however I am not assuming it was the one aircraft as they included one Warrant Officer and five Flight Sergeant's. PS: I have now completed the 10,836 RAAF deaths including posting at discharge and can now sort every section. Great feeling. (except how they died which is your area of expertise)
On the 8/4/1945 six RAAF members were killed on the one day however I am not assuming it was the one aircraft as they included one Warrant Officer and five Flight Sergeant's. Hi Geoff. Would this be the incident when the six were lost? 8-9 April 1945. 630 Squadron. Lancaster III ND949 LE-Z. Op. Lutzkendorf. Crew. F/O. CRM. Richardson RAAF. + Sgt. B. Gibbons. + F/S. HE. Burton RAAF. + F/O. R. Martin RAAF. + F/O. W. Forrester RAAF. + F/S. AE. Bowman RAAF. + F/S. FJ. Howlett RAAF. + The aircraft took off at 1837 hrs from East Kirby to bomb an oil refining facility. Homebound, diverted due to poor weather conditions but crashed 0310 hrs at Foxton 3 miles NW of market Harborough, Leicestershire. 'Bomber Command Losses' Volume 6. WR.Chorley.
9 December 1944. 21 OTU. Wellington III BJ782. Training. Crew. F/S. JA. Hay RAAF + Sgt. A Barker + Sgt. JH. Bell + Sgt. RG. Clements + Sgt. W. Robinson + Sgt. WH. Donaldson. The aircraft took off at 1820 hrs from Morton-in-Marsh for a night cross-country exercise. At sometime prior to 2145 hrs, the starboard engine caught fire at 5,000ft. Unable to establish their precise position the crew broadcast a number of distress calls and as a result were given a course that would take them to Barford St. John. Eyewitnesses here saw the Wellington in the circuit, losing height, but as it entered the funnels the engine note increased as if the crew were intending to overshoot. However, after crossing the airfield, it dived suddenly and came down on a railway embankment on the ENE side of the aerodrome, near the village of Adderbuy and burst into flames. Those who died rest in cemeteries across England and Northern Ireland. Sgt Donaldson escaped with little more than severe shock, for which he was treated in the local Station sick quarters. 'Bomber Command Losses Volume 7 Operational Training Units'. WR.Chorley. Vickers Wellington III BJ782 was one of 600 delivered between May and December 1942 by Vickers Armstrongs, Chester. The aircraft had operated with 29 OTU - 20 OTU and 21 OTU. Hope this is the info you are looking for John. Regards Peter. Peter Thank you so much for this, it is more than I had hoped for. Sgt. W. Robinson's best friend, Fred Aylesbury, who still lives in our village will be over the moon to know how his mate lost his life. Fred unveiled our new war memorial this year in our village, and he told me both himself and William Robinson went to join up in the navy, as it had always been their dream since they were small boys to serve on the sea. Fred was excepted, William was not, Fred said it was because William didn't have enough teeth. He knew he had been killed in a training accident but nobody knew the exact cause of the crash, the papers just saiuid/say died in a training accident. So after all these years, thanks to your help, Fred will now know....once again many many thanks it is very much appreciated John. PS. Fred also told me about another lad from out village called Leslie Harrison, Fred said that this young lad was killed when he had hitched a ride on a plane back up north and this also crashed. Peter could I ask you please do you hold any records on this incident. the link below should take you to Leslie on the CWGC. CWGC :: Casualty Details
Great report Peter. J.A. Hay RAAF was one of 50 killed with 21 OTU between 24/7/1941 and 8/4/1945 and was buried at Oxford (Botley) Cemetery as were another 349 other RAAF members. On the 8/4/1945 six RAAF members were killed on the one day however I am not assuming it was the one aircraft as they included one Warrant Officer and five Flight Sergeant's. View attachment 7662 PS: I have now completed the 10,836 RAAF deaths including posting at discharge and can now sort every section. Great feeling. (except how they died which is your area of expertise) Spidge...thanks for the extra information...very helpful. John.
Hi John, I'm please the info was ok. What follows is all I have on the second request. 13 May 1942 50 Squadron. Manchester I L7519 VN- Training. Crew. F/S. PJW. Blake. + P/O. A. Bartlett. + F/S. RL. Cunningham. + LAC. WS. Stevens. + AC1. L. Harrison. + The aircraft crashed 1645 hrs at North Farm near Thurlby, Lincolnshire. Eye witnesses state that the Manchester nosed into a dive while flying at roughly 800 feet and failed to recover. 'Bomber Command Losses' Volume 3. WR. Chorley. Regards Peter.
On the 8/4/1945 six RAAF members were killed on the one day however I am not assuming it was the one aircraft as they included one Warrant Officer and five Flight Sergeant's. Hi Geoff. Would this be the incident when the six were lost? 8-9 April 1945. 630 Squadron. Lancaster III ND949 LE-Z. Op. Lutzkendorf. Crew. F/O. CRM. Richardson RAAF. + Sgt. B. Gibbons. + F/S. HE. Burton RAAF. + F/O. R. Martin RAAF. + F/O. W. Forrester RAAF. + F/S. AE. Bowman RAAF. + F/S. FJ. Howlett RAAF. + The aircraft took off at 1837 hrs from East Kirby to bomb an oil refining facility. Homebound, diverted due to poor weather conditions but crashed 0310 hrs at Foxton 3 miles NW of market Harborough, Leicestershire. 'Bomber Command Losses' Volume 6. WR.Chorley. Thanks Peter. I have that for the 9/4/45 which is common for most - next day if a night crash/loss. I assume if this be the case your date from Chorley would be the 7th. Names are: BRUNSKILL, ANTHONY GEORGE STEWART Flight Sergeant 433799 21 O T U 8/04/1945 20 GRAEBNER, EVERARD CHARLES Flight Sergeant 436496 21 O T U 8/04/1945 22 HARRISON, CHARLES HENRY Warrant Officer 12694 21 O T U 8/04/1945 34 NEWCOMBE, JOHN WILLIAM Flight Sergeant 438300 21 O T U 8/04/1945 30 THOMAS, JOHN RAYMOND Flight Sergeant 435357 21 O T U 8/04/1945 20 VICKERS, JOHN KEITH Flight Sergeant 427364 21 O T U 8/04/1945 21 Cheers Geoff
The aircraft crashed 1645 hrs at North Farm near Thurlby, Lincolnshire. Eye witnesses state that the Manchester nosed into a dive while flying at roughly 800 feet and failed to recover. Once again Peter many thanks, brilliant stuff. just what I was after. Thanks John PS....looks like another forum addiction for me...I guarantee I will be back to pick your (and other forum members) brains...hope you don't all mind
I assume if this be the case your date from Chorley would be the 7th. Names are: BRUNSKILL, ANTHONY GEORGE STEWART Flight Sergeant 433799 21 O T U 8/04/1945 20 GRAEBNER, EVERARD CHARLES Flight Sergeant 436496 21 O T U 8/04/1945 22 HARRISON, CHARLES HENRY Warrant Officer 12694 21 O T U 8/04/1945 34 NEWCOMBE, JOHN WILLIAM Flight Sergeant 438300 21 O T U 8/04/1945 30 THOMAS, JOHN RAYMOND Flight Sergeant 435357 21 O T U 8/04/1945 20 VICKERS, JOHN KEITH Flight Sergeant 427364 21 O T U 8/04/1945 21 Cheers Geoff[/quote] Geoff, For the above I have.... 7-8 April 1945. 21 OTU Wellington III BK133. Would you like the full entry from the OTU book or do you already have it? Peter.
7-8 April 1945. 21 OTU. Wellington III BK133. Training. Crew. F/S. J K. Vickers RAAF + F/S. A G S. Brunskill RAAF + F/S. J W. Newcombe RAAF + W/O. C H. Harrison RAAF + F/S. E C. Graebner RAAF + F/S. J R. Thomas RAAF + The aircraft took off from Moreton-in-Marsh for night circuits and landings. Crashed 0055 hrs due to total engine failure, at Great Rollright, 10 miles SW of Banbury, Oxfordshire. All rest in Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. F/S. Graebner RAAF was the son of the Rev Rudolph Graebner and Doris Graebner of Perth. This was the last Wellington of its MK to be lost from a Bomber Command Operational Training Unit. No flying hours total has been appended, but it had been allotted to Moreton-in-Marsh on 16 May 1944. Bomber Command Losses. Volume 7. W R. Chorley. Regards Peter
Further to Peter's post on the loss of Manchester L 1759. No 50 Squadron were based a few miles to the NW in the village of Skellingthorpe which was actually within the Lincoln City boundary and the aircraft would have taken off from there.The operation is listed as Training while it is likely that LAC Stevens and AC1 Harrison were groundcrew staff who were witnessing an air test or or had hitched a ride.The squadron had the Manchester on charge for about a month from April 1942 and just after the crash converted to the Lancaster Mk1 and 111s.They then left Skellingthorpe to take up residence at RAF Swinderby until Ocober 1942 when they returned to Skellingthorpe for the remainder of the war. The crash site at Thurlby was very close to RAF Swinderby, being on the east side of the airfield.Also at Thurby was a Bomber Command bomb dump.(No 3 Ammunition Park) whose name was changed to Norton Disney when Swinderby opened,being the village south of No 3 Ammunition Park. This bomb dump issued bombs to Swinderby,Waddington, Scampton and Hemswell, far up the A15.
Harry, Thanks for the extra info. Old Fred Aylesbury told me that Leslie Harrison was indeed hitching a ride home when he was killed in the accident. I was a little perplexed when he told me this, was it usual practice for ground crew etc to hitch a ride with planes.....or is the term 'hitchhiking a ride' some sort of RAF terminology. Leslie Harrison lived in Co, Durham would it be feasible for him to try to get back up north via RAF aircraft, also as Peter pointed out in 'Bomber Command Losses' Volume 3. WR. Chorley, Manchester I L7519 VN- was involved in some sort of training when it crashed, so I a little confused. Thanks again. John.
Thanks Peter. Well they were all on the one aircraft. Surprised me but good to have the facts. Cheers Geoff
John, No 50 Squadron had just converted to Manchesters from Hampdens and within about a month their situation had changed and they were allocated the Lancaster.(At the time the Lancaster had got over a few engineering problems and it looks as if the squadron was allocated the Lancaster as the new aircraft became available from the factories at short notice.) Consequently, No 50 Squadron aircrews would still be engaged in the training for the conversion to the Manchester which would involve handling the aircraft in take off and landing operations,cross country flights and then training in bombing at the number of inland bombing ranges in the area.I think that the aircraft which was definitely in the Skellingthorpe circuit at the time would be involved in this stage of training mentioned or undertaking an air test before it crashed.It is therefore unlikely that AC1 Harrison was hiching a lift to get home, it was more than likely that it was a simple case of as a groundcrew member of the squadron, he was enjoying flight experience which led to a tragic end.There were numerous cases like this throughout the war. Hitching a lift to an airfield near to home or a girlfiriend's home was commonplace in the RAF.People on squadrons were the first to know of such movements and often took advantage of it provided they made their approach through the pilot or crew.Arrangements were therefore informal.
