Military and civil aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1919 to 1929

Details of the crashes and the names of the aircrew involved appear on this page. Please contact us if you are related to somebody on the list, or know of a photograph of them. If original photographs or papers are still in the family, we can help to caption photographs and explain the codes and nicknames that were used at the time. We appreciate the opportunity to copy original material for the museum's archive.

The Midland Aircraft Recovery Group has found the sites of many of the crashes, but we are still looking for a significant number, so we'd like to hear from anyone who can pinpoint a crash that we've listed. We are always looking for photographs, log books and anecdotes relevant to the units based in the Midlands.

The details below are have been compiled from numerous sources of information in the public domain over many years. We've done our best, but errors are inevitable. Please contact us if you have more accurate information on any of the crashes or people listed, or can add the names of crew that we haven't traced. Thank you.

31/01/1919 SE5A F7975, of 14 Aircraft Acceptance Park spun into the ground at Castle Bromwich.  Lt George William Holstead was killed.  Holstead, from Beacon Hill, Hindhead, Surrey, had received two body wounds when engaged in action with an enemy airman and the paper said he was a  ‘Mons hero who won the Military Cross’.

18/03/1919 Handley Page 0/400, serial D8340, of 14 Aircraft Acceptance Park sideslipped into the ground at Castle Bromwich when landing after an aerial photography exercise.  Lt L W Sage and his 4 passengers were unhurt.

26/03/1919 DH10 F8421 lost its starboard wings while taking off from Radford. Flight Sergeant Charles William Wright of Wells, Norfolk, was killed.  He was a ferry pilot and mechanic with the Central Despath Pool.  The aircraft had been built at Norwich and was being delivered to Hooton Park.  It isn’t clear why it landed at 1 Aircraft Acceptance Park.

28/04/1919 Bristol F2, serial F5098, of 14 Aircraft Acceptance Park stalled and crashed on landing at Castle Bromwich.  Captain Edwin Tufnell Hayne was killed and Major Maurice Nasmith Perrin died in hospital.  Captain Hayne DSC (11/17) DFC (9/18) was born Johannesburg 28/5/1895, served in RNAS (becoming Flt-Sub-Lt 5/7/16) & RAF 1915-1919. He had claimed 15 enemy aircraft during the Great War.  Perrin was born in Paddington and left a wife Susan Frances Perrin and daughter Moyra Robins.  He had served as a medical officer throughout the war and was the medical officer for Castle Bromwich.

20/05/1919 Avro 504 F2593, of 1 Aircraft Acceptance Park stalled off a turn at low speed and crashed – presumably at Radford.  2/Lt Leonard Turnell Carruthers was seriously injured and Lt George Spencer Craddock was killed.

11/06/1919 DH10 E6043, of 14 Aircraft Acceptance Park stalled and crashed, possibly after engine failure – presumably near Castle Bromwich.  Lt John Seymour Ingleby was killed and 2/Lt Harry Dennison Dade was slightly injured.

12/06/1919 Avro 504K F8785, of HQ 13th Group crashed during a demonstration at the Peace Carnival, Worcester.  Lt Joseph Albert Paull AFC (Canadian) was killed and LAC Jack Ackroyd Bently was injured.

15/07/1921 Bristol F2, serial F4456, of the School of Army Co-operation force landed at Moreton-in-Marsh due to fuel shortage.  F/O B H Cook and Sgt J F Hall were both slightly injured.

17/02/1923 Vimy F9155, of the Air and Gunnery School was being flown from Eastchurch to Henlow when the crew got lost.  The pilot had to avoid children on Warwick race course in the last moments of a force landing there, and crashed.  P/O Frank Kenneth Wright was slightly injured.  P/O William Thelluson Doughty Windham was seriously injured.  Corporal Arthur Suckling Steer 156760 and LAC R A Busby were slightly injured.

22/02/1923 DH9A E913, of 5 Flying Training School force landed at Shenstone and overturned.  F/O D L Evans was unhurt.

23/09/1923 Avro 504 G-EACB crashed at Hampton after losing part of its engine over Evesham.  Mr A L Bisto and Mr Barret were unhurt, but the aircraft was destroyed.

20/10/1923 Siskin J6983 was being tested at Whitley aerodrome when it spun into the ground.  Major Joseph Clifford Griffiths was killed.  He was the first chief instructor of the Armstrong-Whitworth Flying School and was from Birkenhead.  He left a wife, who was living near the aerodrome at the time.

19/02/1925 Siskin, serial 29, had been built for the Romanian airforce and was being tested by Major Stefan Sanetescu.  It crashed at Whitley after a structural failure and Maj Sanetescu was killed.  This led to cancellation of the order for Armstrong-Whitworth Siskin V aircraft, which had wooden wings.

19/07/1926 Siskin G-EBLQ crashed during a demonstration flight at Whitley aerodrome, when the leading edge of a wing collapsed.  David Arthur Hughes, who was the chief instructor of the Armstrong-Whitworth Flying School, was killed.  This was the second loss of a Siskin V due to collapse of its wooden wings.

23/08/1928 Bristol Trainer G-EBQT crashed at Forthampton near Tewkesbury.  P/O Robert Charles Cave Gale was seriously injured and the aircraft was wrecked.

27/06/1929 DH9J G-EBOR, of the Armstrong-Whitworth Reserve School hit trees while attempting to land at Whitley aerodrome.  P/O Apthorpe-Webb was injured.

09/07/1929 DH9J G-EBOQ, of the Armstrong-Whitworth Reserve School stalled and crashed when landing at Whitley aerodrome.  F/O C H Latimer-Needham was reported killed but actually survived (going on to become an aircraft designer) and F/O J D Williamson died of his injuries on 27/07/1929.

28/07/1929 DH9A, of 605 Squadron crashed when force landing at Wormleighton.  F/O Nock is believed to have been unhurt.  The aircraft was written off, but its serial has not been traced.

03/11/1929 Moth G-EBLW of the Midland Aero Club crashed at Shirley.  The Leamington Spa Courier reported: At 3.30 an aeroplane crashed into a field near Bills Lane due to engine trouble. The 'plane was completely wrecked and the pilot, Mr Tracey Liddle of Steechford, received cuts over both eyes.

18/12/1929 DH9A G-AARS, of the Armstrong-Whitworth Reserve School crashed – presumably at Whitley aerodrome.  F/Lt F Benstead was unhurt.