Date:	Tuesday 27 May 1941
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide
Owner/operator:	2 Signals School, RAF
Registration:	R5929
MSN:	6466
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Easton Hill, near Bishops Cannings, 3 miles NE of Devizes, Wiltshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire
Destination airport:	RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire

Narrative:
c/no.6466: Taken on charge by RAF as R5929 under Contract 21547/39 at 2 E&WS Yatesbury 27.10.39; renamed 2 Signal School RAF 26.8.40.

Written off when stalled and crashed, whilst low flying at Easton Hill, near Bishops Cannings, 3 miles North East of Devizes, Wiltshire 27.5.41; all 7 on board killed, including civilian pilot Frederick J O’Connor. The six military crew killed were:

AC.2 (W/Op under training) Frank BILLINGHAM, Service Number 1192273;
AC.2 (W/Op under training) Arthur S. BUTCHER, Service Number 1290772;
Corporal (W/Op) Victor C. CHITTOCK, Service Number 640119;
AC.2 (W/Op) John BOOTH, Service Number 1000552; commemorated at Darlington West Cemetary, Darlington, County Durham
AC.2 (W/Op) Ivor C. BURGESS, Service Number 1073117; commemorated at Blackpool (Carelton) Crematorium, Blackpool, Lancashire
AC.2 (W/Op under training) John BATES, Service Number 1073782; Commemorated at Kimberworth (St Thomas) Churchyard

All the deaths were registered at Devizes, and three of the six crew were buried at Yatesbury (All Saints) Churchyard, Yatesbury, Wiltshire. The other three fatalities were reclaimed by their families for internment locally to their home towns. DH.89A R5929 Struck off charge 3.6.41.

Bishops Cannings is a village and civil parish in the Vale of Pewsey in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles (5 km) north-east of Devizes. Easton Hill is a peak in Bishops Cannings, Wiltshire, England and has an elevation of 705 feet. Easton Hill is situated nearby to the hamlet of Horton, as well as near the village of Bishops Cannings.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Dragon_Rapide#Accidents_and_incidents
3. 2 Signals School Operational Record Book (Record of Events 1 October 1938 to 31 December 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/719 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100428
4. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh89a-dragon-rapide-bishops-cannings-7-killed
5. https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/dh89.pdf
6. https://forum.rafcommands.com/forum/unaccounted-airmen-and-airwomen-project/1941/2802-410527-unaccounted-airmen-27-5-1941
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58008681/frederick-john-o'connor
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2710554/frank-billingham/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2710557/arthur-sydney-butcher/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2710559/victor-charles-chittock/
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2837820/john-booth/
12. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/4029189/ivor-charles-burgess/
13. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2402773/john-bates/
14. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p064.html
15. https://rotherhamwarmemorials.weebly.com/rgs-2.html
16. https://mapcarta.com/N11922086096
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishops_Cannings

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Jan-2012 09:40	Dr. John Smith	Added
26-Jan-2012 14:15	Nepa	Updated [Operator, ]
09-Jan-2017 20:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, ]
29-Nov-2018 09:02	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Nature, Narrative, Operator, ]
18-Feb-2019 22:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
09-May-2020 16:42	Anon.	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, ]
18-Mar-2025 21:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
18-Mar-2025 22:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category, ]
22-Mar-2025 19:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]