ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 209350
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| Date: | Thursday 10 April 1930 |
| Time: | 11:58 LT |
| Type: | Gloster Grebe Mk III (DC) |
| Owner/operator: | AGS RAF |
| Registration: | J7530 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Shurland Meadow, Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, Kent -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, Kent |
| RAF Eastchurch, Kent | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Gloster Grebe Mk.III (DC) J7530, Armament & Gunnery School, Eastchurch: Written off (destroyed) 10/4/30 when lost control and spun into the ground near a Primary School at Shurland Meadow, Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Both crew were killed:
Crew:
Flying Officer Ernest Leonard Wilson (pilot, aged 25) killed
Telegraphist James Ronald Armison (aged 21, Service Number P/J.111484) killed: Naval records list the death as "HMS Victory, Portsmouth" which was where he was assigned, and not Eastchurch, Kent, where he was actually killed.
According to the account of the inquiry into the deaths of the two crew members ("The Aeroplane", 16 April 1930) which indicated that the aircraft had begun a spin at 3,000 feet (well above minimum height). From enquiries on a Kent local history forum, one poster who is deeply into the aviation history of the Isle of Sheppey provided this insight:-
"Around noon on the 10th April 1930 one particular aircraft above the village was beginning to attract attention. One young lad in his garden looked up because the aircraft's engine seemed to be playing up - cutting out and then re-starting, in bursts. As he looked up he was just in time to see the aircraft drop low across the village, narrowly missing the houses in the High Street, just clear the school roof and disappear behind the school with a bang into Shurland Meadow.
The Gloster Grebe dual-seat trainer, was piloted by Flying Officer F.L. Wilson, 26 and he was accompanied by Telegraphist J.R. Armison R.N. 21.
At the Inquest the next day, held in the Eastchurch airfield's Sick Bay, a succession of witnesses and RAF personnel gave their accounts of what had happened. A fellow pilot from the airfield, who had continued to watch the aircraft after its take off, stated that it was Wilson's third flight, with a different passenger, that morning. Apparently he was taking up Naval Telegraphists who were coming to the end of five weeks flying training in aerial gunnery.
It transpired that Wilson had taken off at 11.45 and after climbing to 2,000 feet the aircraft was seen to roll onto it's back, right itself and then further climb to around 2,500 feet. From there the aircraft then went into five spins, which were part of the passenger's training, but on diving out of the last one, the engine was heard to cough on and off a few times. It was then that the aircraft was seen to first flatten out and then steeply dive and disappear behing the village.
Alf Coultrip was in Shurland Farm gardens when he too became aware of the aircraft, reporting that as it completed a spin it levelled off, did a couple of half turns and then went into a steep dive into Shurland Meadow, behind the school.
Mr. G. Codden, son of the lanlord of the Crooked Billet public house, heard the aircraft go over and crash and ran to Ham's the butchers to telephone the airfield. He then ran to Shurland Meadow and joined Mr. Dowsett, Mr. Beard and Dr. Shepard, in trying to free the airmen from the wreckage, watched all the time by an ever growing crowd of schoolchildren and villagers.
Mr. Dowsett, of the High Street, said that he helped to cut the straps that held the airmen into the aircraft and also helped remove their parachutes from their backs. Both men were bleeding profusely and it was assumed that they were dead, or dying.
By this time Flt. Lt. F.J.Haythornwaite, the airfield's Medical Officer, had arrived on the scene to find both the airmen being laid out on the grass. Both were found to be still breathing but unconscious and admist their numerous injuries the M.O. suspected skull fractures, which was later borne out. He immediately had them removed to the airfield's Sick Bay, where Armiston shortly died and because of this, it was decided to move Wilson to the much better facilities at the RN Hospital, Chatham, but he too died, soon after admission there.
After the hearing had heard how Wilson had 861 hours flying experience to his credit and that the aircraft had been checked over fully the day prior to the accident,the Foreman of the Jurors, Mr. Triplow, gave their verdict as one of "Accidental Death".
Sources:
1. Western Gazette - Friday 18 April 1930
2. The Times, London 11 April 1930
3. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17427-RAF-Fatalities-1930
5. http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4691.15
6. https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/251400-gloster-grebe-j7530.html
7. photo of wreckage: https://www.flickr.com/photos/adrianbeaumont/291708793/in/photolist-c8tPEb-s22CV-aM6Tc4-aM7xB2-a8sUs5-aM6TiT-aM7xkD-Xyp5zW-3q6iF-aNsfo2-cyhDgy-cyhD8y-cyhDa9-cyhD7A-rM5RX-8HJYUy-oS3Pc3-bk67AS-3nexrB-rM693
8. http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1930.htm
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4382.0
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Apr-2018 18:06 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 29-Nov-2018 09:44 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator] |
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