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Date: | Thursday 27 March 1952 |
Time: | 11:40 |
Type: | English Electric Canberra B Mk 2 |
Owner/operator: | 617 (Dambusters) Sqn RAF |
Registration: | WD984 |
MSN: | 71055 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | near Beelsby, 6 miles SW of Grimsby, Lincolnshire -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire (EGXB) |
Destination airport: | RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire (EGXB) |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:EE Canberra B.Mk.2 WD984, 617 (Dambusters) Squadron, RAF: Written off 27/3/1952: Lost height in snowstorm during GCA approach, port wing hit ground, aircraft cartwheeled and broke up, near Beelsby, 6 miles South West of Grimsby, Lincolnshire
All three on board killed - one of whom was Flying Officer Bohumil Vladimir Sigmund RAF (navigator) who had fled to Britain after a coup in 1948 in Czechslovakia, and rejoined the RAF. (He had served with 311 (Czech) Squadron during WWII)
Canberra WD 984 started at 11.40 hrs from RAF Binbrook on a training flight. Sergeant Ford conducted a pilot controlled descent and landing was long. The aircraft was seen as the snow disappeared beyond the perimeter of the airport. Then he was spotted by two civilians, as in a snow blizzard and low altitude sharp curves. The left wing caught while the ground and the aircraft disintegrated. The entire crew of 3 perished. Bohumil Sigmund is buried in the cemetery at St. Mary's Church of St. Gabriel in Binbrook, Lincolnshire.
Crew of Canberra B.2 WD984:
Flight Sergeant Peter Ford, RAF (pilot, aged 21)
Flying Officer Bohumil Vladimir Sigmund (navigator, Service Number 127089)
Flying Officer Frank Ernest Bath (Observer/Bomb Aimer)
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 141
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/51:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424172 5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/31/S2527:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578373 6.
http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WA 7.
http://www.bcar.org.uk/1950s.html#52 8.
http://www.acr.army.cz/acr/raf/cast/046.htm 9.
http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/03920.php 10.
http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html 11.
https://m.facebook.com/137379809624190/posts/929254773770019/ 12.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beelsby Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
03-Jun-2008 16:49 |
JINX |
Added |
21-Jan-2012 18:19 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
16-Feb-2012 01:42 |
Nepa |
Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative] |
03-Apr-2013 22:07 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
09-Oct-2018 18:07 |
Nepa |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator] |
30-Dec-2019 23:08 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |