The first seven days of peace

During the first week of peace in Europe, the RAF lost 155 aircraft due to accidents or adverse weather conditions, of that total 36 involved the loss of 130 lives. The following is a catalogue of those tragic losses so soon after the end of the war in Europe.

Credits.

The Price of Peace - Cummings

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Geoff's 1939-47 Search Engine

 

08 May 1945

322 Squadron
Spitfire LF16. TB383
Varrelbusch.

Circumstances of loss are not known.

Flight Lieutenant Donald James HUNTER 22.
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09May 1945

RF230 Lancaster III RF230
No.514 Squadron
2 miles east-south-east Roye-Amy

The aircraft was returning to UK with 24 released prisoners of war as part of Operation EXODUS, a task placed on Bomber Command using the heavy bomber force to repatriate prisoners, some of whom had been incarcerated for over 5 years, to UK as quickly as possible. The aircraft crew sent a brief message saying that they were making a forced landing but when the pilot applied full flap, the aircraft went out of control, entering a spin from which it did not recover and it crashed and was destroyed by fire. It appears that several of the passengers moved from their allotted places in the aircraft, causing centre of gravity problems and the pilot had already used 8 divisions of elevator trim to keep the aircraft in balance. However, the application of full flap caused loss of control.

Flight Lieutenant Beaton was a relatively junior officer to be the holder of the DSO. He was awarded this for his gallantry and determination when his aircraft was badly damaged raiding Le Havre in daylight and he sustained a broken leg and other serious injuries. Nonetheless, he refused to relinquish command of the aircraft and flew it back to UK and made a safe landing. The citation for the award is reproduced below, since it represents an exceptional performance by a young officer. It seems particularly tragic that Beaton should lose his life flying an errand of mercy after hostilities in Europe had been concluded.


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Flight Lieutenant Donald BEATON 22 DSO
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Flight Sergeant Alfred MCMURRUGH 23 Flight Engineer
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Flying Officer Ray Bertram HILCHEY 22 Navigator RCAF
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Flight Sergeant John Goodworth BRITTAIN 20 Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
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Pilot Officer Robert MacPherson TOMS 20 Air Gunner RCAF
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Pilot Officer Orval Clare EVERS 19 Air Gunner RCAF
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Former POWs

Captain Robert Worsley WHEELER 26 Royal Engineers
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Lieutenant Patrick Archibald Tomlin W B CAMPBELL 36 6th Battalion The Queen's Own
Royal West Kent Regiment
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Lieutenant Eric Thomas Theodore SNOWDEN 27 Royal Artillery
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Sergeant Ronald Arthur ADAMS 26 7th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
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Corporal Emanuel L BELSHAW 40 2/6th Battalion East Surrey Regiment
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Corporal Albert George THOMPSON 25 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
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Lance Corporal George William FRANKS 32 2nd Battalion The King's Royal Rifle Corps
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Fusilier Harold CUMMINGS 22 2nd Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers
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Fusilier Owen PARKIN 25 1/8th Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers
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Guardsman James Arthur ROE 25 lsl Battalion The Irish Guards
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Gunner Alfred James Spencer CROWE Royal Artillery
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Gunner A N LABOTSKE 4th Field Regiment South African Artillery
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Pioneer W L LINDHEIMER Polish Army
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Pioneer Mordhai MASCHIT Polish Army
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Private Thomas ANDERSON 22 2nd Battalion The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
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Private William Leonard BALL 311st Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
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Private Samuel James BAYSTON 29 4th Battalion The Green Howards
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Private Roland Albert BETTON 26 lsl Battalion The King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry
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Private Ronald Ernest CLARK 29 2nd Battalion The Royal Scots
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Private Walter CROSTON 32 Pioneer Corps
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Private Richard DANSON 32 l/6'h Battalion East Surrey Regiment
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Private Ralph TURNBULL 28 1st Battalion The Durham Light Infantry
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Private Patrick YATES 23 2/5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment
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Rifleman Thomas James EDWARDS 32 1st Battalion The Rifle Brigade
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Citation
Acting Flying Officer Donald BEATON 179980 RAFVR 514 Squadron
As pilot and captain, Flying Officer Beaton has completed many operational sorties against a variety of targets in Germany and occupied territory. In September 1944, he took part in a daylight attack on Le Havre. Whilst over the target the aircraft sustained severe damage when struck by anti-aircraft fire and went temporarily out of control. Flying Officer Beaton was badly wounded, suffering a broken leg and multiple wounds caused by flying fragments of shell. Although in great pain he regained control and set course for home. Making light of his injuries he refused to leave the controls and flew back to an airfield near the coast where he landed his damaged aircraft safely. This officer displayed outstanding courage and fortitude. Though severely wounded he never wavered in his determination to bring his aircraft and its crew home. His example was most inspiring.

 

09 May 1945

Spitfire XI PM142
400 Sqn
Baltic

The pilot was undertaking a photo recce sortie, monitoring German warships withdrawing from Danish waters. The aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from some of these vessels, whose crews believed they would be attacked by the aircraft, having recently survived an unprovoked attack by Russian aircraft in the same area.

Flight Lieutenant Lawrence MCMILLAN 23 DFC, Air Medal (US)
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10May 1945

Stirling IV LJ899
190 Sqn
Rojdafors Lake Sweden

With the end of the war in Europe, British forces were deployed to a number of occupied countries to assist with the re-establishment of the normal government and the disarming of the former enemy troops, their vetting and safe conduct, prior to their repatriation. Elements of the 1st Airborne Division were sent to Norway and an advanced party was airlifted to Gardermoen near Oslo. Unfortunately, the first aircraft arrived over Norway in bad weather conditions and although most were recalled safely, several attempted to land with disastrous results. Amongst those killed in the accidents described below, were a number of aircrew who had flown tours of operations including sorties during Operation MARKET-GARDEN: the Arnhem battle and Operation VARSITY: the Rhine Crossings, together with some troops who had served at Arnhem. Also killed was the Air Officer Commanding No 38 Group RAF. In the case of this aircraft, the pilot lost control in very bumpy weather conditions whilst flying in cloud and he
regained control at about 500 feet but was having difficulty flying the aircraft because of loose fabric on the port wing. He decided that the safest option was to ditch the aircraft in the water over which he was flying, in case the control problems became worse, and this he did although the aircraft struck a tree on its final approach to the lake. Although the six RAF crew and 14 Army passengers escaped, four soldiers were drowned. Corporal Pearl fought at Arnhem as a member of the Pioneer Platoon and was one of only 74, from a battalion of some 800 that went into action, to escape to Nijmegan after the battle.

Private Duncan Anthony CONNOLLY 19 7th Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers
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Corporal James McAra DAVIDSON 35
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Lance Sergeant John MULHOLLAND 32
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Corporal John PEARL 31
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10-May 1945

Stirling IV LK147
196 Sqn
2 miles south-west of Gardermoen

The aircraft was seen to emerge from cloud which had a base of 200 to 300 feet. The pilot attempted an immediate climb to avoid the surrounding high ground but the aircraft stalled, dived into the ground and burst into flames. The weather was extremely poor and there was bad visibility and low cloud covering the mountainous area surrounding Oslo and to the north. There was no radio contact with the aircraft and the pilot had descended below his safety height in an attempt to land, having not heard or failed to respond to the recall signal.

Flight Sergeant Harold Alfred BELL 32
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Flying Officer John BREED 24 RAAF Pilot
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Flight Sergeant David WELCH Wireless Operator
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Flight Sergeant Lionel James Douglas GILYEAD 21 Flight Engineer
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Warrant Officer Raymond Charles IMPETT Navigator
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Warrant Officer Hugh Joseph KILDAY 31 RAAF
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Private FrederickBRO\VN 1" (Airborne) Battalion The Border Regiment
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Private Thomas Dalrymple BROWN 26
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Corporal Charles GAVAGHAN 34
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Private Thomas LAYCOCK 26
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Private George Alan LITTLE 25
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Private Robert MCKEOWN 30
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Private Horace NEWBY
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Private Joseph PAGAN 25
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Private George Thomas PHIPPS 25
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Lance Corporal Thomas Errington RICHARDSON 25
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Lieutenant Frederick Godfrey SAVILLE 20
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Lance Sergeant Frank Raymond SEABURY 29
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Private Joseph SMETHURST 38
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Lance Corporal Alexander Barr TODD 25
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10 May 1945

Stirling IV LK297
190 Sqn
10 miles north of Oslo.

The passengers and crew of this aircraft were lost without trace and were not located for several weeks until, on 21 June, a burnt out wreck was discovered in hills near Oslo. As the men could not be identified individually, they are buried in a Collective Grave at Oslo's Western Civil Cemetery. During the Battle of Arnhem, the previous September, Robertson and his crew, flying Stirling LJ831, were shot-down over the Netherlands but survived and returned safely to allied lines. They subsequently flew further operations, including the airborne assault across the Rhine seven weeks previously. Air Vice Marshal Scarlett-Streatfield was the Air Officer Commanding 38 Group and had taken up his post after the Arnhem operation the previous September and had flown as a 2nd pilot on the VARSITY operation. The reasons why an experienced captain flew his aircraft into hills were never discovered but the weather was appalling and he may have lost control in cloud. The crew apparently did not receive or react to the recall signal or it is possible the pilot felt compelled to attempt to get into Gardermoan, given that he had his Air Officer Commanding on board.

Squadron Leader Douglas Raymond ROBERTSON 23 DFC Croix de Guerre RCAF
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Flight Lieutenant Norman Leslie ROSEBLADE 29 DFC RCAF Bomb Aimer
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Flight Lieutenant Lemuel Ernest PROWSE 25 RCAF Navigator
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Flight Sergeant Ronald ALDERSON 26 Flight Engineer
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Flight Sergeant Arthur Gwynne DAVIES 38 Air Gunner
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Warrant Officer George Edward THOMPSON 34 DFM Wireless Operator
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Air Vice Marshal James Rowland SCARLETT-STREATFIELD 36 CBE
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Major Fetter Kato JULIEBO34 Royal Norwegian Army Liaison Officer to Airborne Forces
Details not found

Private David William COOPER 27 HQ 1st Airborne Division Defence Platoon
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Private Walter William ELLIOTT 23
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Private Walter Robert LOVETT 25
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Private Frank George MCGLYNN 18
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Private Edmund Charles MONK 18
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Corporal Sidney George RAYNER 28
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Private William RODGER 18
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Private Frederick SAINTY 22 2nd (Airborne) Battalion The Ox & Bucks Light Infantry
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Private John SHANNON 18
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Private Clarence SUTHERLAND 18
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Private Francis Gerard TRAINOR 19
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Private Edward WABY 26
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Private Michael Mullen WADE 19
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Private George WALTON 19
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Private Kenneth John WATTS 18
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Sergeant Herbert William WOODWARD 29
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10 May 1945

Master II DL435
3 GTS
Exeter

The aircraft was taking off with a Hotspur glider, serial number BT794, in tow. The aircraft and glider turned onto the crosswind leg at about 400 feet and the tug's engine failed because of fatigue fractures to several inlet valves. The tug pilot released the tow and attempted a forced landing in a field but at low height turned the aircraft to avoid trees and it stalled, struck the ground, turned over and caught fire. The glider was landed safely without damage.

Warrant Officer Dennis Charles STADDEN 22
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10 May 1945

Lancaster I ED631
1651 HCU
RAF Woolfox Lodge

The aircraft had been airborne for about 15 minutes on a 3 engine practice landing sortie and was being flown by an HCU crew with two instructors. There was a problem with the engines and although unclear it seems possible that the screen pilot feathered the wrong engines. A forced landing was made but the aircraft overshot and crashed through a hedge on the airfield boundary and was destroyed by fire.

Sergeant James Barnard LAMBERT 20 Air Gunner
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Flight Sergeant Thomas Henry COTTERILL Pilot under instruction died 12 May 1945
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10-May 1945

Mustang IV KH665
442 Sqn
Tottenhill Norfolk

The pilot was undertaking an authorised low level flying sortie when he attempted to carry out a double roll from a height of 100 feet. There was insufficient height for this manoeuvre and the aircraft hit the ground and was burnt out.

Warrant Officer Henry Sylvester LORENZ 22 RCAF
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10-May 1945

Hurricane IV LD487
42 Sqn
Magwe

In order to avoid colliding with the formation leader, the pilot of this aircraft put it into a diving turn to port but lost control. In attempting to recover, the pilot pulled back sharply on the controls and may have induced a stall or blacked out and the aircraft crashed.

Sergeant Edward James ELLIS 20
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10-May1945

Mosquito IX LR503
105 Sqn
Calgary

The loss of this aircraft and its crew is probably one of the most unfortunate accidents of the period. Flight Lieutenants Briggs and Baker were amongst the most experienced Mosquito crews operating in the light striking role and both had flown numerous sorties, in addition to which Briggs had flown a full tour of bomber operations as a wireless operator, for which he was awarded the DFM before retraining as a pilot. The aircraft was a 'top scoring' example which had completed several hundred sorties (records suggest 213). The crew had flown to North America with a De Haviland engineer; Mr Edward Jack on board and they were to conduct a publicity tour. At about 1600 hours, the aircraft departed Calgary with just the RAF crew aboard to fly to Red Deer and Lethbridge before returning to Calgary. On take-off, the pilot decided to beat up the airfield for the benefit of the spectators who had gathered for the departure. Two low level passes were completed successfully but on the third pass, the pilot failed to pull up soon enough and the aircraft struck the control tower roof, shearing off its port wing and part of the tailplane before diving into the ground and being destroyed by fire. Although both the crew were thrown out of the aircraft, they sustained fatal injuries and were buried the following day in Burnisland Cemetery
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Flight Lieutenant John Maurice Winnington BRIGGS 25 DSO DFC
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DFM Flight Lieutenant John Custance BAKER 24 DFC and Bar
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10-May 1945

Beaufighter X NV564
79 OTU
Missing from Cyprus

The aircraft failed to return from a training sortie and no trace of it was found nor was any explanation for its loss discovered.

Sergeant George Frederick SMITH 22
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Leading Aircraftman Stanley Frank HANCOCK
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ll-May 1945

Hurricane IIC BN364
1431 Met
2 miles north-west of Qastina

The pilot had been involved in an accident a short time before this flight and was not keen to undertake the sortie at night. Whilst flying on instruments, he lost control of the aircraft and it crashed.

Flying Officer Arthur Leonard FOX 25 RAAF
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ll-May 1945

Mitchell HD314
45 Gp
Boundary Bay Canada

There is no Accident Card for this aircraft

Sergeant Frederick JACKSON 23
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Sergeant John Arthur JONES 24
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Pilot Officer Donald Ronald Lonsdale KITSON 20 died of injuries 13 May 45
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ll-May 1945

Wellington X LP404
24 OTU
Langham

The aircraft, which was flying at 15000 feet and had been airborne for 1 hour 50 minutes, was on a night cross country from its base at Honeybourne when its starboard engine stopped because of an oil pump drive failure. The pilot diverted to RAF Langham for an emergency landing but then overshot his first approach and climbed away on the port engine but could not maintain height and attempted to force land downwind. Whilst doing so the aircraft struck a tree and crashed into some houses and the local YMCA Club, fortunately shortly after it had closed following a party. Although 5 members of the crew were injured, the rear gunner was killed when the tail unit came away in the crash.

Flying Officer Glen James HAY 22 RCAF Air Gunner
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ll-May 1945

Mosquito NF30 MM786
410 Sqn
At sea off Rotterdam

The aircraft had been airborne for 20 minutes on an air test and was flying at low altitude over the sea. Both engines were seen to fail and the port wing stalled before the aircraft crashed into the sea. The aircraft had not been refuelled following its previous sortie and the pilot failed to check the fuel state prior to take-off. When the fuel in the outboard tanks ran out, there was insufficient height for the pilot to change tanks and for the engines to pick up.

Flight Lieutenant Thomas Henry CAMERON 26 DFC RCAF
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Leading Aircraftman Llewellyn Morganog THOMAS RCAF
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ll-May 1945

Wellington XIII NC489
69 Sqn
Melsbroek

The aircraft was taking off and it swung. The pilot failed to correct the swing and the aircraft continued its take-off run across the grass, at 80 degrees to the runway. It became airborne at a low speed, struck a building and then crashed into trees and caught fire.

Flight Sergeant Noel Vivian RYDER 24 Pilot
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Sergeant Sheddon John ALDERSON 23
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Warrant Officer John COGHLAN 190 Sqn
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Flight Sergeant Wallace DEXTER 38 190 Sqn
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Warrant Officer II Joseph Arthur HAY 34 Wireless Operator RCAF 190 Sqn
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Sergeant James Arthur KEEPING 20
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Flying Officer John Henry VANULAR Navigator RCAF 190 Sqn
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ll-May 1945

Wellington X NC713
105 OTU
3 miles south east of Bitteswell

The aircraft had been airborne for 19 minutes on a local flying sortie and it was the pilot's first solo on type at night. After experiencing engine trouble, the pilot requested an emergency landing and was making his approach. However, he allowed the aircraft to stall, it then dived into the ground, before recovery could be effected and was burnt out in the subsequent fire.


Warrant Officer Frederick William DUCK 24 Pilot
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Warrant Officer Norman William WYNN 32 Navigator
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Warrant Officer Joseph Donald ORMESHER 30 Wireless Operator
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ll-May 1945

Beaufighter X NE638
308 MU
1 mile east of Bamrauli

The aircraft was being air tested and during a climb, its starboard engine failed. The pilot was unable to maintain height on one engine but the aircraft crashed into the ground and burst into flames during the attempted forced landing. The engine failure was attributed to a blockage of the main jets due to the ingress of foreign matter, comprising a range of substances, including cleaning rag fragments, cellulose and hair.

Flying Officer Bernard Frank WEAVER 22
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