Date:	Tuesday 29 December 1953
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH.112 Venom NF Mk 2
Owner/operator:	23 Sqn RAF
Registration:	WL829
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Darlton, 2.5 miles NE of Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hawarden, Chester (EGNR)
Destination airport:	RAF Coltishall, Norfolk (EGYC)

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.112 Venom NF.2 WL829, 23 Squadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 29/12/53 when crashed at a location between Darlton and Tuxford in Nottinghamshire. Pilot killed.

DH.112 Venom NF.2 WL829 was first flown at De Havilland's at Chester on 11/08/53. On 29/12/53 the aircraft had been collected from 48 MU at RAF Hawarden, Chester, for delivery to 23 Squadron at RAF Coltishall, Norfolk. While en route on the delivery flight, the pilot reported that he was experiencing difficulty with the engine and could not get more than 5,000 rpm from the engine, with consequent reduced power. The pilot therefore decided to divert to RAF Worksop in Nottinghamshire.

He then next reported that the engine problems were getting worse, and he would not be able to make RAF Worksop. He then decided to attempt a forced landing into a field 2.5 miles north-east of Tuxford, Nottinghamshire. On final approach, during this attempted emergency landing, the nose of the Venom lifted, the aircraft stalled and crashed, diving into the ground at a low altitude and killing the pilot

Pilot of Venom WL829
F/O (583292) Alan TOWLE (pilot) RAF- killed in service 29/12/1953, buried at Scottow Cemetery, Coltishall, Norfolk. It is perhaps ironic that his grave is directly in line from the end of the runway at RAF Coltishall, his intended destination...

The Yorkshire Post reported an eye-witness who said:

“I was half a mile away on the top of a hill when I saw the plane flying low. The pilot appeared to be trying to make a forced landing. The plane, however, suddenly lifted sharply and rocked, and having lost flying speed crashed and burst into flames”.

The newspaper added:

“Another eye-witness, Mr. H Murdock, a farmer, of Darlton, said ‘the pilot was thrown clear of the blazing portion of the plane, but still trapped in some wreckage. One of our men, Reg Turner, ran up and pulled the pilot clear, but he was already dead”.

Flying-Officer Towie was 24 and newly-married. He was from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, and was a graduate from RAF Cranwell, having originally joined the RAF at 16 as a radar technician trainee before switching to flying duties in 1948. The 'Nottingham Evening Post) (29.12.53) which reported the crash in its Stop Press (ie new hot news column) albeit describing the jet as a Vampire said he was dead on arrival at Retford Hospital.

The reported crash location was near Darlton, a small village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England. It is on the A57 road about 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) north-east of Tuxford at approximate co ordinates 53.25°N 0.84°W

Wreckage of Venom WL829 recovered by (and to) No.54 MU. To RAF Hucknall where struck off charge as Cat.5(scrap) 21/1/1954 and scrapped. Hucknall is also the home of a Rolls-Royce engine test facility, so it is logical to presume that tests and investigations into the Venom's engine were carried out in January 1954

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.153 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 439
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. Yorkshire Post 30 December 1953
5. 23 Squadron ORB (Operation Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/1/1951 to 31/12/1955: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2603/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8423807
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/190: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424311
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WL
8. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH112%20prodn%20list.txt
9. http://www.julianwhite.uk/scottow-scottow-cemetery-alan-towle/
10. Grave marker of pilot: http://www.julianwhite.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/20201108_152946-scaled-e1605874387921.jpg
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlton
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuxford

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Jan-2020 23:09	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Jan-2020 08:26	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
23-Mar-2020 12:11	Iwosh	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Narrative, Operator]
25-May-2021 17:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
05-Dec-2023 18:21	Paul Allonby	Updated [Source, Narrative]