Wellington T2834 Crew Memorial. Lincolnshire.

This memorial is opposite St Peter's church, North Rauceby, Lincolnshire. This is the best that I could do in the fading light with run-down batteries. Hopefully get some better daylight photographs next year.

 

20 April 1942

No.3 (C) OTU
Wellington T2834
Op.Training

The aircraft was conducting a night flying exercise and whilst in the circuit of Cranwell, it crashed close to Rauceby Vicarage killing both crewmen.

Crew.

P/O. H E. Rath RCAF +
Sgt. K M. Miegel RAAF +

1942 Lincolnshire aviation Incident Logs. - BCAR.org.uk

A few details re Sgt. K M. Miegel RAAF

http://www.saints.nsw.edu.au/assets/pdf/2016/Miegel.pdf

 

MIEGEL, KARL MORRIS
Rank:
Sergeant
Service No:
403480
Date of Death:
20/04/1942
Age:
27
Regiment/Service:
Royal Australian Air Force
Grave Reference:
Plot 3. Row D. Grave 1.
Cemetery:
CRANWELL (ST. ANDREW) CHURCHYARD
Additional Information:
Son of Karl Theodor and Sarah Jane Miegel, of Wahroonga, New South Wales. Australia.Sergeant Karl Morris Miegel ( - 1942) - Find A Grave Memorial

 

RATH, HENRY ERIC
Rank:
Pilot Officer
Trade:
Pilot
Service No:
J/6686
Date of Death:
20/04/1942
Age:
21
Regiment/Service:
Royal Canadian Air Force
Grave Reference:
Plot 3. Row E. Grave 1.
Cemetery:
CRANWELL (ST. ANDREW) CHURCHYARD
Additional Information:
Husband of Lillian Edna Rath, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Pilot Officer Henry Eric Rath ( - 1942) - Find A Grave Memorial

 

Some photos of Sgt Karl Morris Miegel RAAF

 

Just spotted this! How the memorial came about!

http://www.saints.nsw.edu.au/assets/pdf/2016/Miegel.pdf

 

A fitting remembrance tribute to those who fell whilst engaged in ops training......many did.

Thanks to Andy Caradine and those who helped to bring his research to fruition.

Per Ardua ad Astra

Apparently No 3 Coastal Command OTU was posted in to Cranwell on 6 Au gust 1941 initially equipped with Whitleys and left for Haverford West on 23 June 1943.Some of the Wellingtons on the OTU carried the anti submarine illuminator,the Leigh Light.

No 3 CC OTU recorded training syllabus at Cranwell contained operational techniques,long cross country and overseas flights.

I would have thought that there would have been a full OTU Wellington crew involved in the night flying exercise....seems unusual if the aircraft was manned by a two manned crew although it has to be said,both were pilots....may have been a night time circuits and bumps exercise

 

The Proceedings of the Court of Inquiry confirm your thoughts, Harry:

The two pilots, both pupils, were ordered by their Flight Commander to carry out circuits and landings at night, for one hour and a half each. They were told not to continue if the visibility became too low for them.

Regards,

Dave

 

Thanks Dave for further information.

I would think that it would be unusual for two pupil pilots to be left to conduct circuits and bumps. The crew may have been regarded as being competent to carry out the exercise that night but the main responsibility of an OTU was to assimilate aircrew to the aircraft that they would be flying on operations.It was usual to have such training accompanied by a unit flying instructor.

I note from the record of Sgt Miegel that he had only been on on the OTU since 17 March 1942,and a little one month later he was killed.It looks that P/O Rath may have been in England since September 1941,whether he was an "old boy" at the OTU is not clear.

As regards the Cranwell circuit,North Rauceby was well within it being about one mile south of the A17. The OTU ops would have been carried out from the South Airfield,(the modern airfield as opposed to the North Airfield which first was used for airship operations during the Great War) which is on the north side the A17.