Date:	Thursday 19 September 1946
Time:	14:52
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito PR Mk 34
Owner/operator:	8 (C) OTU RAF
Registration:	PF651
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Pilsgate, 3 miles SE of Stamford, Peterborough, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Chalgrove, Oxfordshire
Destination airport:	RAF Chalgrove
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Mosquito PF651: Took off at 14:04 hrs for training flight /Trg PR mission. 19/09/1946.
Crew were briefed for a cross country exercise to be conducted at 24,000 feet. They were to fly a route from their base at RAF Chalgrove via St Abb's Head - York - Bury St Edmonds and to return to Chalgrove. They were to climb to their operation height and take photographs between Newcastle and St Abb's Head. They were fully briefed on the prevailing weather conditions.
At 14:22 hrs he informed his base that his radio reception was very weak and that he was returning to base. He cancelled this message at 14:38 hrs, as the radio was apparently working satisfactorily again. During this time F/O Ashworth was routinely passing messages to control and at 14:46 hrs, he reported that he was changing frequency to RAF Abington although he did not make contact with them.
The aircraft was next heard by witnesses on the ground who heard it when it was above cloud in the area of Wittering and the village of Pilsgate. The engine was heard to be "screaming" and it was thought that the pilot was doing aerobatics. Then an explosion was heard after which the engine noise ceased. The aircraft was then seen just below the top cloud layer at 10,000 feet in a diving attitude and with the starboard wing breaking away. The aircraft then climbed momentarily before immediately entering a slow flat spin to starboard during which both engines broke away from the aircraft while the aircraft was still very high. The aircraft continued to disintegrate until it hit the ground at 14:52 hrs where it exploded into flames at Pilsgate.
Crew:
F/Lt (64320) Dominic PAGE (pilot) RAFVR – killed
F/O (166514) Francis Colin ASHWORTH (nav.) RAFVR - killed

A Court of Inquiry was convened into the cause of the accident by the Air Officer Commanding, No. 12 Group on the 23rd of September 1946, at which a number of statements were taken from both experts and from witnesses on the ground.

Statement of Mr. G. Barrett, a former Corporal clerk (D.D) Royal Air Force: -

"On the afternoon of 19th September 1946, I was driving a tractor in Mr. Smalley's farm to the S.E. of Uffington Station. I stopped the tractor and looking up towards the west I saw an aircraft flying at high altitude. I watched it for a moment or so and notice small parts coming from it. I then watched it more intently and noticed that it was deficient of a wing. As it got lower and I was able to get a better view, the aircraft appeared to be climbing, but this was only momentary and the nose dropped. The aircraft then went into a very flat spin and disappeared from my view. The next thing I saw was a cloud of black smoke. I estimate the time from the commencement of the spin to the crash as two minutes. Pieces continued to fall after the aircraft had crashed. I noticed one large piece fall and hit the ground and rushed up to look at it. I found it to be part of a wing. It was covered with ice. I estimate the thickness of the ice to be 1/4"

Three German prisoners of war, who were working nearby, attempted to rescue the two men but were beaten back by the flames. Statement of German POW Ulrich Wolfe: -
"At about 14:55 hrs. (He looked at his watch at that moment) on 19/09/46. I was working in a field about half a mile south east of Pilsgate Grange when my attention was attracted by the roar of an aircraft and a bang to the north west. On looking up I saw it at a height of approximately 3 - 2,000 metres. I noticed a wing was off - I think it was the port one. I could see pieces of the aircraft in its immediate vicinity - they were all small pieces. The aircraft immediately put up its nose and went into a spin - I cannot remember which way. It continued spinning until it went out of view behind some trees. I then saw the smoke from the crash. About half way to the ground the engine on the side with the complete wing came out - I knew it was the engine as I could see the propeller turning. I rushed to the crash and found the fire raging. With the help of two comrades, we pulled the occupants out but they were dead. the body of the navigator was wearing an oxygen mask but I did not see any safety straps."

The Court concluded that: -
"The accident was due to loss of control followed by the collapse of the starboard wing. Technical evidence suggests that the wing failed due to overstressing probably caused during the pull-out from the resultant dive. Evidence shows that icing conditions were a contributory cause of the loss of control."

The gallant conduct of the three German prisoners was commended by the coroner and they were recommended for early release. On the 3rd of December 1946, during questions to the Secretary of War in the House of Commons, Mr Anthony Greenwood MP asked the Secretary whether the arrangements for the repatriation of the three men, Ulrich Wolfe, Fritz Oeder and Joseph Schoensteiner, had been made. Mr Bellinger replied, "Yes sir, the conduct of these three prisoners of war has resulted in arrangements being made for their repatriation on the 21st December"

Pilsgate is a hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of Barnack, in the Peterborough district, in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. Pilsgate is close to the county boundary and 3 miles (5 km) south-east of Stamford, Lincolnshire.

1.http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2.ORB 8 OTU RAF: AIR29/637
3.National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/28/W2364:
4.http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578210
5.Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley)
6. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100346
7. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings p.222
8. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells.
9. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
10. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/awards/details.php?qname=PAGE&qnum=64320
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2949728/dominic-page/
12. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97847490/dominic-page
13. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192402008/francis-colin-ashworth
14. http://www.hambo.org/kingscanterbury/view_man.php?id=75
15. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2700637/francis-colin-ashworth/
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilsgate

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Aug-2013 22:22	JINX	Added
30-Sep-2013 12:40	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
21-May-2014 18:23	Nepa	Updated [Total occupants, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Jul-2014 14:41	MiG23	Updated [Operator, Location, Source]
17-Aug-2015 13:20	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Location]
31-Mar-2019 15:04	Nepa	Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Narrative, Operator]
17-Nov-2019 02:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
17-Nov-2019 02:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
17-Nov-2019 12:17	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]
17-Nov-2019 12:19	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator]
18-Nov-2019 16:36	Nepa	Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator]
24-Nov-2019 00:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
19-Feb-2020 21:16	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, Operator]
28-Nov-2021 11:49	Nepa	Updated [Location, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]
30-May-2023 20:20	Nepa	Updated [[Location, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]]
01-Jun-2023 17:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Location, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]]]
02-Jun-2023 07:36	Nepa	Updated [[[[Location, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]]]]