The first seven days of peace

ll-May 1945

Tiger Moth II T5982
7 EFTS
Elmdon

This aircraft and T6910 were carrying out formation flying practice at a height of between 800 and 1200 feet. It seems possible that the pupil pilot of this aircraft was concerned about the proximity of another aircraft on his starboard side and so banked to port and in doing so collided with T6910.

Flight Sergeant Roger Mallam ROBSON 21
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Aircraftman 2nd Class KennethWilliamHALLIDAY
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Tiger Moth II T6910
7 EFTS
Elmdon

Mid air collision with T5982 as summarised above.

Sergeant John Henry STRUDWICK
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Corporal Henry Stuart FARNDALE 28
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12-May 1945

Mustang I AP219
26 Sqn
RAF Harrowbeer

The aircraft was landing with drift because of a crosswind, when it passed through the slipstream of the aircraft ahead. The pilot opened up to overshoot but then decided to land and touched down on the grass. The brakes proved ineffective on the wet ground and the aircraft collided with a dispersal bay and struck an airman who received fatal injuries.

Leading Aircraftman Arthur MASTIN 39
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12-May 1945

Tempest V EJ588
3 Sqn
North of Rotenburg

This aircraft was part of a formation taking part in a flypast at Bremerhaven. The pilot lost his position in the formation and then attempted to catch up and return to his place in the formation. Whilst doing so he collided with SN166, lost control and attempted to bail out but at too low a level for the parachute to deploy.


Flight Lieutenant William Roy ROBERTSON
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Tempest V SN166
3 Sqn
Rotenburg
This aircraft was struck from below and behind by EJ588 and it was badly damaged, diving into the ground and being destroyed by fire.


Sergeant Wilson CAMPBELL
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12-May 1945

Tempest V EJ685
56 OTU
Ford Northumberland 1
This aircraft was struck by NV759 whilst in formation flying practice. The tail unit was severed and the pilot bailed out successfully but died of shock later.

Flying Officer Frederick Wallace MOSSING DFC RCAF
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Tempest V NV759
56 OTU
Doddington Northumberland 1
The pilot, who had the minimum number of flying hours on type for formation flying, lost position in the formation and then misjudged the rejoin, colliding with EJ685 whilst skidding laterally. The pilot attempted to force land the damaged aircraft but turned away to avoid a farmhouse and stalled the aircraft at low altitude.


Flight Sergeant Cyril Whitworth POWELL 29
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12-May 1945

Vengeance IV FD277
12 FU
Ajaccio Corsica
1
The pilot reported engine problems and these later proved to be caused by the No: 2 cylinder piston and connecting rod breaking up. The pilot bailed out but did not survive.

Flight Sergeant Basil Eustace BRANSON 21
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12 May 1945

Kittyhawk IV FT930
450 Sqn
Cervia
The aircraft was making a gliding approach to land but stalled off the final turn at about 300 feet and spun into the ground, catching fire on crashing.

Flight Sergeant Ronald Henry SCHARF 21 RAAF
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12 May 1945

Mustang IV KH644
122 Sqn
Cowsgrieve Aberdeen

Despite the aircraft having an unserviceable radio, it was flown by this pilot on a general handling sortie. The aircraft was seen flying at 1000 feet when it entered a vertical dive from which it did not recover. The reason for the dive was never established.

Flying Officer Robert Hardie CASBURN 24
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12 May 1945

Spitfire F21 LA200
91 Sqn
Ludham

Details of this accident are not recorded on an Accident Card.

Flying Officer Geoffrey KAY 22
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12 May 1945

Wellington X LN653
1 ACS
North Sea

The aircraft was being ferried from Pembrey to RAF Manby and the pilot took off with no WT aids, having failed to collect the appropriate radio crystals for the TR1196 wireless set. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft but at about the time it should have been arriving at Manby, the local weather conditions were poor with fog and sea mist. Eventually the body of the pilot was recovered from the sea about 10 miles north of Manby and it is assumed that the aircraft struck the sea whilst the pilot was descending in an attempt to establish visual contact with the ground.

Flight Sergeant Victor Walter Frederick TOWNSEND
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Section Officer Natalie Conwy REES-PRICE WAAF
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Believed to be:

Flight Sergeant Leslie Davy HORTON 22
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Leading Aircraftman John Cecil FOWLER
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13 May 1945

Liberator VI KH202
178 Sqn
Lavarino

The aircraft was taking off on a supply delivery sortie when, about two thirds down the runway, the nosewheel assembly failed because a drag link in the actuating gear fractured in three places due to the rough ground. The aircraft went out of control and crashed. Although 8 people on board survived the pilot died because he was not strapped in and was fatally injured when he was flung out. A fire broke out as the rescue was taking place

Flight Sergeant Allan William KERNOHAN 22 Pilot
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13-May 1945

Mustang IVA KH763
112 Sqn
3 miles north-east of Forli

The aircraft was flying at 3000 feet on a practice formation sortie when its engine failed. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and elected to force land but the aircraft flew into trees and a wire fence, then turned over and caught fire.

Sergeant Peter Landless GREAVES 21
CWGC :: Casualty Details

 

14 May 1945

Harvard IIB FE614
45 Sqn
Monierkal Tea Estate

The pilot was carrying out low flying over a tea plantation in contravention of his orders. Whilst flying inverted, the pilot lost control and the aircraft crashed. Although the engine caught fire in the crash, the blaze burnt itself out and did not spread to the rest of the aircraft.

Flight Lieutenant Frederick Charles FORTUNE 25
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Pilot Flight Lieutenant Gordon LAUDER 20 Navigator
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14-May-45

Mosquito XII HK185
256 Sqn
Forli

This aircraft was one of three being transferred to 110MU. The formation flew across the airfield at a height of 250 feet but this aircraft descended and struck a 45 feet high steel pylon which severed the port tailplane and elevator. The aircraft climbed vertically for a short time, flicked over and dived vertically back to the ground. The pilot was judged to have been guilty of a gross breach of flying discipline and the formation leader was censured for poor leadership.

Warrant Officer Maurice Osric GRAVER 22 Pilot
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Flight Sergeant Lewis Wesley MAUNDER Navigator
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14-May 1945

Mosquito VI HR628
84 Sqn
20 miles west of Ranchi

This aircraft was one of a formation of four Mosquitoes from 'A' Flight, led by Flight Lieutenant R H Davies, detailed to carry out a shallow dive bombing exercise on the Random Range near Ranchi. The aircraft entered a 25 degree dive at 8000 feet and at 5000 feet, the aircraft appeared to explode aft of the mainplane and then to crash. Subsequent investigation revealed that about 8 feet of starboard wing had broken off, then struck and fractured the tail unit. The two crew had no chance to abandon the aircraft and were killed.

Flight Sergeant William NATTRASS 21 Pilot
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Warrant Officer Stanley Hudson VETTERS 23 Navigator
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14 May 1945

Sunderland V NJ260
209 Sqn
20 miles south-west of Mombasa

The aircraft was engaged in a night radar exercise and because of heavy rain and poor radio reception at base, the captain decided not to alight until the weather had improved. The 2nd pilot, who was an experienced captain and knew the area well, gave the 1st pilot incorrect information about the local topography including the high ground and the aircraft flew into a hill when the captain acted on the advice given.

Flight Lieutenant John Charles Fraser GIBSON 22
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2nd-Pilot Warrant Officer Percival Augustus Hugh STONE 23 3rd-Pilot
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Flight Sergeant Royston Maxwell Highman WILLIAMS Air Gunner
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Just reading these and they are awfully tragic, especially the ones involving P.O.W.'s.

 

Thanks for posting all that, ya learn something new everyday.

 

10 May 1945
Major Fetter Kato JULIEBO34 Royal Norwegian Army Liaison Officer to Airborne Forces
Details not found


Name: JULIEBO, PETER KATO
Initials: P K
Nationality: Norwegian
Rank: Soldier
Regiment: Norwegian Army
Age: 34
Date of Death: 10/05/1945
Casualty Type: Foreign National
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 1 Row E Grave 11.
Cemetery: OSLO WESTERN CIVIL CEMETERY

 

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
CWGC :: Casualty Details

Just like to add a bit more to this.

This house was originally the YMCA club where Glen died. When it was converted from a barn to a house, around 1991.
It was named Glen Hay Barn.
In the Blue Bell pub opposite, His picture and story are promiently displayed.


Story and pics of crash here under aircraft crashes.

http://www.raflangham.co.uk/history.html

 

Geoff, thanks for the details.

RCG, thanks for the great pics. Its good to see that Glen Hay is remembered.

Regards
Peter



Regards
Peter