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Military aircraft crashes in the
south west Midlands - 1950 to 1988
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.
6 June 1950 (06/06/1950) Harvard FE761 of 2 FTS crashed in
forced landing at Southam. Fate of crew unknown.
21 December 1950 (21/12/1950) Meteor VT342 of
Telecommunications Flying Unit crashed at Bransford, cause
unknown. Pilot F/Lt D J M McDonald killed.
9 January 1951 (09/01/1951) Harvard FS883 of CFS suffered
and engine failure after take off from Moreton-in-Marsh;
hit hut. Pilot F/Lt C R Eendued (?) and second pilot F/O
Sonthi Siang Suke (Siamese) were both OK.
24 January 1951 (24/01/1951) Harvard FX307 of CFS crashed
at Pebworth. Pilot F/Lt R B Jackson and co pilot F/Lt L A
Green both killed.
26 February 1951 (26/02/1951) Harvard KF496 of CFS tipped
up on landing at Moreton-in-Marsh and caught fire.
8 March 1951 (08/03/1951) Harvard KF173 of 22 FTS iced up
and abandoned at Swinford. Parachute did not deploy; I H
Schofield was killed.
26 April 1951 (26/04/1951) Harvard FX301 of CFS collided
with Harvard FX438 of the same unit on approach to
Moreton-in-Marsh. They fell upside down near a bungalow. C
W Fortier was killed and F/Lt D F Orchard was injured in
FX438.
20 June 1951 (20/06/1951) Harvard FS884 of CFS caught fire
on ground at Moreton-in-Marsh and destroyed.
22 October 1951 (22/10/1951) Harvard KF564 of 6 FTS was
abandoned at night near Pershore after the engine cut.
Pilot F/O D W Bennett and 2nd pilot O/C I H Donaldson OK.
3 November 1951 (03/11/1951) Vampire WA364 of 605 Squadron
crashed on take off from Honiley. P/O A P Belcher was
injured.
8 December 1951 (08/12/1951) Harvard FS736 of 1 FTS struck
off charge at Moreton-in-Marsh after flying into a tree.
2 January 1952 (02/01/1952) Harvard FS816 of 1 FTS ran out
of fuel and crashed into a wood at Tredington. Pilot
acting P/O F Allanach was killed.
14 March 1952 (14/03/1952) Meteor VT283 of 20 AFS
undershot landing at Moreton-in-Marsh. Pilot S/Ldr E F
Mack, medical officer, was killed.
18 March 1952 (18/03/1952) Oxford HN762 of 9 AFTS was
abandoned after it went into a spin at Offchurch. A/P/O E
R Rayner was unhurt.
7 April 1952 (07/04/1952) Oxford DF308 of 9 AFTS ran off
the taxyway and nosed over at Wellesbourne Mountford.
24 April 1952 (24/04/1952) Oxford NM801 of 9 AFTS ran into
soft ground while landing at Long Marston and overturned.
Instructor F/Lt T D Taylor and pupil A/P/O G R J Coleman
were unhurt.
4 June 1952 (04/06/1952) Oxford NM548 of 9 AFTS crashed at
Stratford after spinning, possibly due to carbon monoxide
poisoning. Pilot A/P/O D G J Browning was killed.
28 July 1952 (28/07/1952) Oxford RR382 of 9 AFTS was hit
by Oxford LX431 at night, at Wellesbourne Mountford.
28 August 1952 (28/08/1952) Tiger Moth T5828 of RAF
Honiley hit an obstruction when taking off from Honiley
and was destroyed by fire. The pilot and passenger were
unhurt; names not traced.
29 August 1952 (29/08/1952) Prentice VS632 of 1 FTS hit
trees at Broadway. S/L M S Crotty and A/P/O J Archer were
both injured.
12 September 1952 (12/09/1952) Harvard FS914 of 1 FTS was
hit by Harvard KF397 on the runway at Moreton-in-Marsh.
8 November 1952 (08/11/1952) Oxford LB474 of 10 AFTS swung
on landing at Pershore and the undercarriage collapsed.
Names of crew not traced.
11 December 1952 (11/12/1952) Oxford LW865 of 9 AFTS
taxied into Oxford ED805 at night, at Wellesbourne
Mountford. Names of crew not traced.
31 December 1952 (31/12/1952) Oxford HM733 of 10 AFTS
suffered a collapsed undercarriage while landing at Long
Marston. A/P/O D F Huggett was uninjured.
1 January 1953 (01/01/1953) Dakota EI-ACF of Aer Lingus
force landed at New End near Great Alne. No injuries to
crew or passengers.
18 February 1953 (18/02/1953) Oxford NM648 of 9 AFTS
overshot and was damaged beyond repair at Wellesbourne
Mountford. Names of crew not traced.
30 March 1953 (30/03/1953) Oxford BG271 of 10 AFTS spun
into the ground at Malvern Wells while flying on one
engine. P/O D C Lewin was killed.
11 April 1953 (11/04/1953) Oxford NJ301 of 9 AFTS lost
height on take off from Wellesbourne Mountford and hit the
ground. Names of crew not traced.
10 May 1953 (10/05/1953) Meteor WA595 of 605 Squadron
force landed near Baginton. Crew of 2 were OK.
10 June 1953 (10/06/1953) Canberra VN828 of
Telecommunications Research Establishment overshot single
engine landing at Defford.
2 July 1953 (02/07/1953) Oxford HM723 of 8 AFTS hit the
slipstream of another aircraft on approach to Wellesbourne
Mountford and undershot. Names of crew not traced.
6 July 1953 (06/07/1953) Prentice VR201 of 1 FTS hit a
tree at Broadway. F/Sgt J S Loomes and A/P/O J B Allinson
were slightly injured.
5 August 1953 (05/08/1953) Harvard KF721 of 1 FTS hit tree
while force landing near Redditch. Pilot F/O Liddiard was
slightly injured and treated at Smallwood Hospital,
Redditch.
4 September 1953 (04/09/1953) Harvard KF221 of 1 FTS hit
tree while avoiding birds; written off on return to
Moreton-in-Marsh.
2 October 1953 (02/10/1953) Chipmunk WP842 of 10 AFTS spun
into Tiddsley Wood near Pershore. Pilot survived.
5 November 1953 (05/11/1953) Harvard KF290 of 9 FTS swung
on landing at Wellesbourne Mountford and undercarriage
collapsed.
31 December 1953 (31/12/1953) Balliol WG179 7 FTS
force-landed at Pailton. J Sievwright was unhurt.
26 March 1954 (26/03/1954) Meteor WA734 of 605 Squadron
swung on take off at Honiley; undercarriage raised to
stop.
18 May 1954 (18/05/1954) Wyvern VZ747 crashed at Pailton
during engine-out tests. Armstrong-Siddeley’s chief test
pilot, Mr E S Griffiths, was killed.
26 June 1954 (26/06/1954) Auster WE541 of 663 Squadron
stalled at low altitude and hit the ground at Barston; R D
Harrison, Royal Artillery, was killed.
4 July 1954 (04/07/1954) Sea Fury TF967 of 1833 Squadron
force landed at Wolvey. Sub Lt E Taylor escaped with cuts
and bruises.
25 August 1954 (25/08/1954) Harvard FX202 of 1 FTS broke
up recovering from dive near Stow-on-the-Wold. R McTavish
and R O F Fields were killed .
31 August 1954 (31/08/1954) Harvard KF590 of 1 FTS belly
landed in a field at Broadway.
3 September 1954 (03/09/1954) Harvard FX256 of 1 FTS force
landed when engine failed on take off from
Moreton-in-Marsh. D N Chambers was unhurt.
30 November 1954 (30/11/1954) Harvard KF233 of 1 FTS belly
landed in error at Moreton-in-Marsh.
31 December 1954 (31/12/1954) Harvard KF280 of 1 FTS swung
on landing at Moreton-in-Marsh and undercarriage raised to
stop.
4 August 1955 (04/08/1955) Ashton WB492 RRE Defford: was
beyond economic repair after an engine fire.
9 August 1955 (09/08/1955) Meteor WL158 of 54 Squadron
suffered an undercarriage collapse at Baginton.
15 October 1955 (15/10/1955) Attacker WZ302 1833 Wroxhall
Stalled on approach to Honiley airfield and crashed into
Hay Wood. Pilot Lieutenant William Fletcher was killed.
16 October 1955 (16/10/1955) Meteor WH115 of 605 Squadron
overshot landing at Honiley. Pilot F/O Mayne and passenger
OK.
21 October 1955 (21/10/1955) Venom WE479 of 187 Squadron
crashed in forced landing near Malvern. F/L H K Sellers
was killed.
27 November 1955 (27/11/1955) Vampire WA457 of 605
Squadron hit trees at Honiley. P/O G O Hauser died of his
injuries the following day.
15 July 1956 (15/07/1956) Attacker WP283 1833 Stalled on
approach to Honiley airfield and crashed 150 yards short
of the runway, killing John Stewart Kearney, age 15, who
was aircraft spotting on the road. Pilot Sub-Lieutenant
Robert Neill was bruised and shocked.
16 September 1956 (16/09/1956) Vampire VV479 of 605
Squadron bellylanded on the runway at Honiley following
engine failure. F/O R L Smalley was unhurt.
7 October 1956 (07/10/1956) Dominie G-AGLR operated by Don
Everall (Aviation) Ltd crash-landed at "Corbetts Inn Lane"
(probably Cornets End Lane), Berkswell, whilst en-route
Paris to Birmingham. The pilot and 8 passengers escaped
unhurt, but the aircraft burnt out. Although given the RAF
serial number NR682, this aircraft was retained by the
makers or RAE until sold for civilian use on 23/01/1945.
5 March 1960 (05/03/1960) Dakota G-AMSF suffered an engine
failure on take-off en-route to Jersey and ‘swerved’ into
the ground just beyond the airport boundary at Elmdon.
There were no fatalities among those on board and fire
crews extinguished a fire that had started in one engine.
This aircraft and Rapide G-AGLR above were owned by Don
Everall (Aviation) based at Wolverhampton, but flown from
Elmdon. This aircraft was previously KJ886 which had
served with 149 Squadron.
7 February 1961 (07/02/1961) Provost XF893 of 6 FTS dived
into the ground out of cloud at Great Whitley. The pilot,
Sub Lt. A Abas Masry of The Lebanese Air Force, was
killed.
22 April 1961 (22/04/1961) Valiant WP200 crashed on take
off from Pershore. While clearing a restriction in the
rudder control, the powered controls were inadvertently
switched off and the take off was aborted at 140 knots.
The nose was damaged on hitting a fence and filled with
soil scooped in through the hole. Pilots S/Ldr I Stirrup
and F/Lt E G Howard were unhurt, flight test observer Mr D
H Webber was slightly injured and the navigator S/Ldr R F
W Nettley and AFO F/Lt E G F Tucker were badly injured.
16 June 1961 (16/06/1961) Pioneer XL664 of the AAEE
undershot a forced landing at Kidderminster following
engine failure and crashed into trees at the end of a
field adjoining the B4363 at Catsley Farm, Buttonbridge.
The pilot was unhurt (names of crew not traced).
30 August 1961 (30/08/1961) Jet Provost XM423 of CFS hit a
high tension cable at Harvington. F/Lt I K McKee and P/O J
Armstrong baled out OK.
2 October 1962 (02/10/1962) Victor XA934 of 232 OCU
crashed at Gaydon after engine failure. F/L N E Cooke, F/O
D F Haynes and P/O J A Cotteridge were killed. F/L E C
Gwinnell survived, albeit injured, after ejecting.
12 March 1964 (12/03/1964) Jet Provost XP639 of CFS
collided with XR670 and F/Lt R S S Cox abandoned it near
Moreton-in-Marsh.
2 May 1968 (02/05/1968) Chipmunk WZ874 of CFS hit ground
recovering from a spin at Moreton-in-Marsh. The student
pilot was cleared to undertake aerobatics, but not below
1000 ft. After completing some manoeuvres, the aircraft
was seen to pull up into a vertical climb from about 500
ft. It fell off into a spin or roll and dived vertically
toward the ground and began to pull up rapidly at about
100 ft, but struck the ground left wing and nose low. The
instructor, S/Ldr Brian Anthony Owens MBE (aged 40 and
with 4000 hrs flying time) was killed. The student was
seriously injured and admitted to Radcliffe Infirmary.
Examination of the wreckage showed the altimeters were
incorrectly set - but it seems surprising that two
experienced pilots should have misjudged the height so
badly.
17 July 1981 (17/07/1981) Jaguar XX113 of 226 OCU crashed
after the pilot ejected following a controls failure at
Great Malvern.
30 May 1988 (30/05/1988) Meteor WF791 being flown by the
Vintage Pair crashed during an airshow at Baginton. The
pilot, F/Lt Peter Wilson Stacey was killed.
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