I know this is a little while after the war dates , but I came across these 2 RAF graves in Woodley. Berkshire and wondered what happened to them. Woodley did have a small WW2 airfield and used as a training school, so may be thay were killed together on a training flight ? Any info is most welcome. Fl Lt JA RICHARDS RAF KILLED 17TH NOV 1951 Fl Off AB STRUTHERS RAF KILLED 17TH NOV 1951 Buried sid by side in Woodley church graveyard.
Have you looked on CWGC? Although I think the dates may be a bit late for them to be listed. I'd guess it was probably a post war accident. Regards Andy
Date of loss = 17 November 1952. Anson TX197 FTC CF Near Woodley Reading At 150 feet after a normal take off, the aircraft banked to starboard. The bank increased sharply and the aircraft flicked onto its back and dived inverted into the ground. It ended up erect and on fire. It seems probable that the aircraft suffered engine failure shortly after take off. Also killed: Cadet John William Hancock 15 ATC Surname STRUTHERS Forenames/Initials Alastair Bruce Rank Fg Off Service Royal Air Force Service Number 59500 Station RAF Shinfield Park Place of Birth/Home Town Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire Date of Birth 10 August 1921 Age 31 Date of Death 17 November 1952 Cemetery Name Woodley Parish Churchyard Cemetery Address Woodley Berks Grave Number AA.32 Included on Armed Forces Memorial Yes Included on Roll of Honour Yes Surname RICHARDS Forenames/Initials John Ackland Rank Flt Lt Service Royal Air Force Service Number 120868 Station RAF Shinfield Park Place of Birth/Home Town Clifton, Bristol Date of Birth 01 May 1921 Age 31 Date of Death 17 November 1952 Cemetery Name Woodley Parish Churchyard Cemetery Address Woodley Berks Grave Number AA 31 Included on Armed Forces Memorial Yes Included on Roll of Honour Yes Thanks go to Eddie, Amrit, Dennis.
Thanks Peter. I have found out that Woodley was an RAF training airfield up until 1953, so the plane must have taken off from here. I shall do some more digging as I have a book on the roll of the airfield up until it was closed. Its the first time I have heard of another crash there so serious, since Douglas Barder crashed on the airfield in the early 1930's. Many thanks. Alan
The Flt.Lt , John Ackland Richards, was a descendant of the family who resided in my house in the 19th Century ! Henry Fownes Ackland Luttrell - the family are probably better known for owning Dunster Castle, near Minehead. The Acklands were a well to do family and originated in the Clevedon, Highbridge area. Havent researched their family tree, but very strange seeing the name posted ! I wonder if the cadet is on the memorial? Regards Pete.
Received by email - the gent intends to join up but has asked me to post this: Dear WW2talk I have some background on AB Struthers who was killed in 1951. Refer to the copy & paste below. I was named after him, albeit with a slight spelling difference - [Excised full name]. From what my late father told me AB Struthers was killed while on a training flight in an Avro Anson. He was my father's first cousin. His mother Catherine Struthers (nee Barclay) was born in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, Scotland. His father Alexander Struthers was employed by Shell Oil in Persia as it was then called until his retirement in the 1950s when the adult Struthers moved to New Zealand to join the rest of their family who had previously migrated to the Taranaki Province over the 20 years following WW1.
I have just found this thread while looking for information about Woodley where my father, Gordon Parkin, was an RAFVR flying instructor until the Flying School was closed a few years later. I vividly remember this accident because I was in the waiting room at the doctors surgery in Woodley with my mother when it happened. The doctor came rushing out of his room with his bag and said to all present that the surgery was closing because there had been an accident at the airfield. Needless to say my mother grabbed me and provided me with the most terrifying ride of my life in our Morris 10 - no seat belts in those days - to the airfield, to see if my father was involved. When we arrived, there a horrible pall of black smoke rising into the sky over the airfield, but thankfully we were too far away to see the crash itself. Needless to say my father was ok, away on a cross-country trip with student. I knew from discussions about this accident in later life that the Air Training Corps was involved but I thought that more than one cadet had been on board and that the loss of life had been greater than just the two pilots and the cadet mentioned.
Sam welcome to the forum do you have dates could it possibly be the accident at the head of this thread
Chaps, Sam IS refering to the accident in question. He said so. ....I vividly remember this accident ...
