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Originally Posted by Harry Ree  I am just wondering if the "Bristol" aircraft incident reported occurred before the war and was a Hemswell based aircraft. There were a number of prewar crashes from Hemswell causing aircrew deaths which are not covered by CWGC remembrance and official wargrave.I would think that the aircraft incidents were due to the squadrons converting to new aircraft over a short period of time.
The first resident squadrons at Hemswell from when it opened in January 1937 were :
No 61 Squadron who had the Bristol Blenheim 1 on strength from January 1938 until March 1939 and were converting to the Hampden from February 1939. (The Blenheim I was the third different type of aircraft for the squadron from when it reformed at Hemswell on 8 March 1937)
No 144 Squadron who had the Bristol Blenheim 1 on strength from August 1937 until April 1939 and were converting to the Hampden in March 1939. (The Blenheim I aircraft was the fourth different type of aircraft for the squadron from when it reformed at Bicester on 11 January 1937, relocating to Hemswell on 9 February 1937)
I think I can trace some of these incidents which are not included in publications covering wartime losses but should give a date of the associated incident.
Will post later |
Having looked at the prewar losses at Hemswell as reflected by the burials at Harpswell, there was a Blenheim incident on 10 May 1938 which was local to Hemswell when Blenheims of No 144 Squadron took off in formation and one was lost when it immediately fell out of formation and flew into the ground.There are two burials at Harpswell related to the incident but the pilot was named Robertson, who one of his flying colleagues recalled, that the week previously they had been together to watch the Calcutta Cup.
There was also a flying incident on 21 April 1939 which would be a Hampden and is related to a burial at Harpwell.There is also another No 144 Squadron Hampden loss, which is reflected by three Harpwell burials which occurred on 2 June 1939.This crashed at Caenby village, the report states Caenby Corner but the actual crash was about two miles away.
Regarding tracing the Oxford aircraft incident reported at South Kelsey on 31 October 1943. The account would have been be in the county newspaper,The Lincolnshire Echo or the Scunthorpe and Grimsby Telegraph or any appropriate Brigg weekly.The other reporting channel.would be the Lincolnshire Chief Constable report.
Dave. One man who might be helpful is Robin Fletcher who is reported to be an Aviation Historian for Lincolnshire and his name has been associated with aviation research in the past in private publications.
I will send you his address by pm but I have been unable to ascertain his telephone number.
Regarding No 15 (P) AFU locations.The unit was formed at Leconfield (Beverley)on 1 March 1942 and used the satellites at Acaster Malbis (York) and Kirmington.At both Leconfield and Kirmington their tenure was short term in that both stations were in the process of being handled over to Bomber Command operational squadrons and No 15 (P) AFU had to vacate the airfields when the BC Units moved in.The unit and their Oxfords then moved to Andover on 15 December 1942 and from this it would suggest that the South Kelsey incident in October 1943 invoved an aircraft not from a regional airfield but from No15 (P) AFU based at Andover.
Regards
Harry