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| Date: | Monday 12 January 1931 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: | Vickers Vimy |
| Owner/operator: | 2 FTS RAF |
| Registration: | F9178 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Westwoodside, Isle of Axholme, 1mile E of Haxey, Lincolnshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Brooklands, West Byfleet, Weybridge, Surrey |
| RAF Digby, Lincolnshire |
Vickers Vimy F9178, 2 FTS, RAF Digby, Scopwick Heath, Lincolnshire: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 12/1/31 when hit dyke embankment when overshot landing into a field near Westwoodside, Isle of Axholme, one mile east of Haxey, Lincolnshire. Aircraft was on delivery flight from Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands when it got lost in the dark. Three of the crew of four were killed:
Crew:
F/Lt Geoffrey Maynard Edward Shaw (RAF) killed
P/O John Edward Furlong Chapman (RAF) killed
F/Sgt Alfred George Rogers (RAF) killed
AC.1 (362454) Cecil Alfred James Jones (RAF) unhurt
According to a contemporary report ("The Aeroplane" of 21 January 1931):
“An inquest was held at Westwoodside on January 13 on the bodies of Flt Lt G.E.M. Shaw, Pilot Officer G.E.F. Chapman and Flt Sgt A.G. Rogers who were killed on the night of January 11 during a flight from Brooklands to Digby. Aircraftman Cecil Jones, who was the only survivor of the accident, said that they were flying low in the bad light to try and read the name of the railway station. They ascended again and prepared to land on what appeared to be a green field.
The aeroplane overshot this field and landed in a ploughed field. It struck a bank only about a foot high and turned up on its nose, crushing the three men who were in the front. Flying Officer H. Bailey said that Flight Lieutenant Shaw had lost his way. A verdict of misadventure was returned.”
(Westwoodside is a small village in North Lincolnshire, England. It is situated within the Isle of Axholme and 7 miles (11 km) north-west from Gainsborough. Westwoodside is in the civil parish of Haxey , a village 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east, at approximate co ordinates 53.488255°N 0.86839°W)
Sources:
1. Hull Daily Mail Tuesday 13 January 1931
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
3. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17512-RAF-Fatalities-1931
4. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1930s-incident-logs#1931
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westwoodside
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?13889-January-1931-RAF-Accident-List-Can-you-add-any-more-info
https://www.britishpathe.com/video/per-ardua-ad-astra/query/Air+crash.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Apr-2018 16:20 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 23-Nov-2018 17:13 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Nature, Operator, ] |
| 07-Jul-2019 00:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 10-Aug-2020 07:43 | Cobar | Updated [Source, ] |
| 14-Oct-2024 22:28 | Nepa | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator, ] |
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