Has anybody details on the loss of these aircraft please. I have come across a photo of a crashed Oxford in a field near some hangars. The code is either HM or NM ( hard to tell from the photo ) 420 , unfortunately both codes were used on Oxfords. May have been 14 P AFU at either Ossington or Gamston. A/C also has 45 painted on the side. Also as a side bar to this , which photo sites are people now using for 3rd party hosting since Photobucket went a bit loopy. I'll post pic when I get a new photo hosting site.
Well, can't see any crashes relating to Ossington or Gamston.... List of mid-air collisions and incidents in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia On 10 June 1940 a RAF North American Harvard and an Airspeed Oxford collide, Oxford crashes. (no location) On 9 July 1940 two RAF Airspeed Oxfords collide and crash near Fawler, Oxfordshire. On 17 July 1940 a RAF Airspeed Oxford collides with a Miles Master. (no location) On 23 September 1940 two RAF Airspeed Oxfords collide near RAF Shawbury, both crash. 1941 On 28 April 1941 two RAF Airspeed Oxfords collide on approach to RAF South Cerney. On 17 June 1941 a RAF Fairey Battle and an Airspeed Oxford collide on approach to RAF Shawbury. On 18 July 1941 two RAF Airspeed Oxfords collide on approach to RAF Shawbury. On 14 September 1941 two RAF Airspeed Oxfords collide during formation flying near RAF South Cerney, one crashed in flames. On 27 October 1941 a RAF Airspeed Oxford and a Percival Proctor collide, Oxford crashed near RAF Upper Heyford. 1942 On 17 May 1942 two RAF Airspeed Oxfords collide on approach to Bridleway Gate. On 19 May 1942 two RAF Airspeed Oxfords collide while formation flying, one aircraft crashes near RAF Driffield. The two where no location are given would therefore seem to be the best possibilities...... perhaps the dates will help with identifying which Serial was written off (?) and where?
Thanks Ross , I have 3 Poles listed as killed on that day reported in the Bingham area ( RAF Newton ) and buried at Newark. F/Lt(Pilot U/T) Piotrowski, Waclaw. KIFA F/Lt(Instr ) Sadowski, Stanislaw, KW. KIFA W/O(WoP) Ballard J. 1382845. WIFA Lt Mieczyslaw Krwawicz also killed in the Bingham reporting area that day - may be not related incident or may have been killed when NM420 hit a building. Will load photo when I sort a 3rd party hosting site out after Photobucket went loopy.
RAF Newton,opened in 1940 was a Bomber Command grass airfield and received Nos 103 and 150 Squadrons on their return from France.Newton was never converted to a paved type,although plans were envisaged for paved runways in 1941.Consequently after the airfield was found not suitable for bomber operations,the airfield was transferred to Flying Training Command and as the PAF flying training unit, No 16 Polish SFTS was formed here from July 1941 for the training of PAF pilots.1525 Polish pilots graduated from the Newton flying training programme with 42 pilots lost in accidents. The three grass runways took excessive wear and tear resulting from the flying training programme and after nearly three years the unit used RAF Sutton Bridge as a satellite to maintain the flying programme. By March 1944 the airfield was deemed to be serviceable again and No 16 (Polish) SFTS returned along with the No 1524 BAT Flight,the former equipped with Harvards from August 1944 and the latter Oxfords.From that it would appear that the Oxford could have been from the BAT Flight. I think the photograph quoted is showing one Blister type hangar, (one of 16 Blisters around the peri-track at Newton) in the background at the edge of airfield when it crashed at 2250 hrs on 16 March 1945. W/O Ballard was in the RAF and survived.It has been recorded that Piotrowski was a Second Lieutenant in the Polish Army who had transferred to the PAF and that F/L Sadowski was the Navigational Instructor which would relate to serving on the BAT Flight. Newton was one of those airfields in Nottinghamshire close to the River Trent which were prone to fog and smog from the industrial areas in the war especially during the autumn and winter. "Ted" Szuwalski (not Shuvalski as I have seen recorded) recollects,"I remember once during a solo flight early in 1945 when I was coming back over Leicester after having flown a triangular route to just north of London,that Newton called me on the radio and was giving me directions and I wondered why?Then I saw a black wall in front of me,it was smog and I couldn't see the airfield from 1000 feet". (As his Oxford was low on fuel,he was ordered to climb to 5000 feet and bail out.) As I would have had to leave the the left hand seat and run to the rear door,by which time,the unstable aircraft would have crashed. I decided against this.Instead I came down to 500 feet,and by complete coincidence I came out right above the middle of the airfield with about 10 minutes fuel left I went around and landed.As I taxied near to the hangars the engines cut out as I ran out of fuel". On a personal note,I served on No 97 Squadron at Hemswell,No 1 Group,Bomber Command during 1953/54.One of the Flight Sergeant Pilots was the same Ted Szuwalski who I remember very well.He was involved in the filming of the The Dambuster at Hemswell,one of four pilots from No 97 and No 83 squadrons who flew the three Lancasters in the film production during the summer of 1954. I think that the casualty recorded by Bingham may have occurred at Orston, a satellite grass field,with a single runway which was requisitioned from farmland. Situated 5 miles to the East across the A46,it was prone to being u/s whenever heavy rain was encountered.There was also a RLG for Newton at Tollerton near to Nottingham,a prewar small civil airport.
Yes that's the photograph.It looks as if the Oxford has crashed outside the airfield boundary. The other side of the hedge would be the peritrack off which the 16 Blister hangars were located around the airfield.
Hi there. Is there is a list of No.16 SFTS 'students' and trainers (I am trying to trace my great grandfather - he was Polish and was at this base but I am not sure what he did). Also, I have some photographs of aircraft - I think from Newton Notts which I'd like to identify. Could I post them here? - I'm new to this website. Cheers, Sarah
Probably best to start a new thread with a title like No.16 FTS or similar, then post the piccies and anything else you have.
See if he's listed here : Home Page - Krzystek's List will be very basic info but will usually list what duties he did. I'd be interested in the photo and could try and help.
Thank you. Will start a new one called RAF St Newton Notts 1942 and upload some photographs and the limited info I have about my great grandfather.
