I'm trying to identify a Halifax bomber that crashed near Pegsdon (Shillington Parish) in Bedfordshire on 21/02/1944. I was reading the recollections of a member of the Royal Observer Corps at the Offley post on the BBC Peoples War archive and it was mentioned. The only Halifax that I can find that crashed anywhere nearby was BB364 (NF-R) but that crashed at Arlesey on 19 December 1943. I am wondering if the contributor to the BBC archive was getting mixed up with Lancaster LM616 (KO J) that crashed at Great Offley in July 1944. To add to the confusion Pegsdon was the location of a crashed Dornier 17 in 1940. Any help gratefully received.
I wonder if everything is correct except the type of aircraft? From the NAA: Lancaster LL 729; Place - Shillington, United Kingdom; Date - 21 February 1944 PATON, John Howie - (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – AUS 423326 WOOD, William Kenneth – (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – AUS 28031 HULLEY – (Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 967497 HOSGOOD – (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 185274 EDWARDS – (Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 924350 BATCHELOR – (Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 1541875 MELTON – (Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 1577288
LL729 was taking part in a raid on Stuttgart 20/21February 1944, and crashed on return. Airborne 0017 21st February 1944 from Witchford. Homebound the aircraft crashed at 0645 at Shillington, 11 miles SSE of Bedford. Both Australians are buried in Cambridge City Cemetery, while the others were buried in their home towns.
Thanks for this information, strange that it seems to have been missed from the Bedfordshire WWII aircraft crashes information on the National Archives. Due to the time that has gone by I'm not sure whether its going to be easy to identify the crash site.
Each of the Aussies has a casualty file held at our National Archives, however, neither of them has been digitized as yet. The pers file for Paton is on-line but doesn't provide much info. Casualty files sometimes provide minute detail on how and where a crash occured, othertimes they are lucky to mention the right country.... If you are really keen it might be worth investing the AU$16 to get one of the casualty files digitized to be read on-line - you never know what sort of info it might tell you about this crash. (it takes a few weeks for the info to come up on the web-site after you pay your money)
Hi< i Wonder if you can help? im from Renhold in Beds not to far from pegsdon and am looking into a Halifax that crashed in our village, not to sure where to start and have limited and cinflicting info. Have dates and other info availible. Hoping you can help.
Sorry, I note a few crashes in Arelsey as well, the info i have is from an ARP report stating, RAF Halifax crashed at Rectory Farm Renhold,(Water End) pilot killed, crew baled out, 2 2000ib bombs and 6 500lb bombs jettisioned at Ravensden Hill, Air ministry asked for plane type to be kept secret, also found on internet references to crash but no one killed only injury to crew. Date 14 sept 1941 Halifax from 76 sqn and from RAF middleton st george.
Paul Welcome to the forum Further Information "Serial Range L9560 - L9584. 25 Halifax Mk.1. Part of a batch of 100 HP54 Halifax Mk.1/11. L9485-L9534; L9560- L9584; L9600-L9608 (84) Mk.1 of which L9534 became the prototype Mk.11; L9609-L9624 (16) Mk.11. Delivered by Handley Page (Cricklewood & Radlett) between 25Jun41 and 25sep41. Airborne 0142 14Sep41 from Middleton St.George. Cause of loss not established. Abandoned and crashed 0255 near the River Ouse at Water End, Renhold, 3 miles NE of Bedford. P/O Hutchin injured an ankle as he landed by parachute. P/O R.E.Hutchin Inj Sgt Wood Sgt Crowe Sgt Browne F/S J.Flanigan Sgt Littlehales Sgt Wallace " Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers
Paul, I'm sure you already know this, but the Halifax only started being delivered in quantity to the RAF from the Spring of 1941, so this was one of the first crashes in the UK. As you can see from CL1's info on this aircraft, it had only been delivered a short while before it crashed. Early versions were discovered to have a serious flaw causing a tail stall and spin, from which it was difficult to recover. This led to the original triangular rudders being replaced with squared ones.
Hi all I am new to the forum and not sure how this works. Have been researching names on local War Memorial and P/O Hutchins is one of them. CWGC posts his death on the date of the crash at Watersend, RAF AHB confirms this together with service number and aircraft number. Here's the mystery; previous post suggests none of the crew were killed and PO Hutchins suffered a broken ankle. If this is indeed the case why is his grave in my local cemetry. Can anyone enlighten me?
Hi all I am new to the forum and not sure how this works. Have been researching names on local War Memorial and P/O Hutchins is one of them. CWGC posts his death on the date of the crash at Watersend, RAF AHB confirms this together with service number and aircraft number. Here's the mystery; previous post suggests none of the crew were killed and PO Hutchins suffered a broken ankle. If this is indeed the case why is his grave in my local cemetry. Can anyone enlighten me? hello hillwalker is this the casualty below on your local War Memorial. Pilot Officer RONALD EDWARD HUTCHIN 104449, 76 Sqdn., Royal Air Force who died age 23 on 14 September 1941 Son of Ronald F. Hutchin and Dorothy A. Hutchin, of Burnham-on-Sea. Remembered with honour BURNHAM CEMETERY, BURNHAM-ON-SEA CWGC :: Casualty Details
hello hillwalker is this the casualty below on your local War Memorial. Pilot Officer RONALD EDWARD HUTCHIN 104449, 76 Sqdn., Royal Air Force who died age 23 on 14 September 1941 Son of Ronald F. Hutchin and Dorothy A. Hutchin, of Burnham-on-Sea. Remembered with honour BURNHAM CEMETERY, BURNHAM-ON-SEA CWGC :: Casualty Details Re the above.... Chorley in his Vol.2 of 'Bomber Command Losses' gives that out of a crew of seven in Halifax I L9567 of 76 Squadron, P/O. Hutchin was the only member of crew to have lost his life. Chorley goes on to say that one member of the crew is reported to have injured his ankle as he landed by parachute. No name is given for this airman. The date for this loss is given as 13-14 September 1941 and the sortie was to Brest.
Hi all, Im a little confused, so did P/O Hutchin die in the air crash at water end in Renhold as the local ARP report suggest or was he the one with the broken ankle as the RAF report sugget and is this the same person on the war memorial that Hillwalker member has found, I live in renhold so this is of interest to me, the site of the crash has a dual carraigeway and other developments built through it now.
