ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 236539
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| Date: | Wednesday 17 November 1943 |
| Time: | 14:35 |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 10 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | LA882 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | New Inn Farm. St Florence, Pembrokeshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Stanton Harcourt |
| Return. |
Whilst on a cross-country navigational exercise the aircraft flew into bad weather & broke up in flight. Suspected to have been struck by lightning it crashed at New Inn Farm to the North of the village of St Florence sadly killing all on board.
Crew:
Sgt Richard CURNOW (1316951) RAFVR - Illogan Cemetery, Cornwall
F/Sgt William Herbert OAKLEY (R/153350) RCAF - Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery
P/O Michael Hilary WATSON (15250) RAFVR - Aylesford Cemetery
Sgt George Walter William CRICK (1424703), 21, RAFVR - Streatham Cemetery
Sgt Ivan Henry HILL (1819780), 19, RAFVR - Kingston-on-Soar (St Winifreds) Churchyard
Sgt Leonard Walter COLEMAN (906887), 28, RAFVR - Plumstead Cemetery
Anniversary of air incidents of everything south of 52* 37’N and west of 3* 11’W (Wales).
Number: 315
Date: 17th November 1943.
Location: St Florence.
Aircraft: Armstrong Whitworth Whitley mkV LA882 ‘M’.
Squadron: 10 OTU
From: RAF Stanton Harcourt.
Mission: Training.
Details:
LA882 was number 16 from the 5th batch of 6 within the last order of 150 aircraft from Armstrong Whitworth at Bagington, to contract 106962/40. Delivered as 140 mkV & 10 mkVII between August and November 1942. LA882 came to 10 OTU.
The unit was formed at RAF Adington on the 8th of April 1940 with No.97 Squadron and 166 Squadron flying the Whitley to train night bomber crews. During 1942 10 OTU took control of an anti-submarine flight detached to St Eval and 10 OTU was transferred to No.91 Group RAF. Another airfield used as a Satellite airfield by 10 OTU was RAF Stanton Harcourt.
RAF Stanton Harcourt is located 4.4 miles southeast of Witney and 6.6 miles west of Oxford.
Crews of No. 10 OUT would be sent once initial training was completed at Abingdon.
It was from this airfield that LA882 was based and on the 17th of November she took off at 10:42hrs on a cross country navigation exercise which took the crew of LA882 Northwest and out into the Irish Sea with North Wales off to their port side. After a set time, the turn due South was made, and a route along the Welsh coast was completed. A turn East was made around the Pembrokeshire coast and soon the crew found themselves surrounded by thick grey clouds which proved to be Electrically charged.
At around 14:35, the farmer at New Inn Farm near St Florence was conducting his tasks when he heard a loud bang, different to the thunderclaps, he went to see behind his farm but saw nothing. When he entered the fields just behind the farm, he came across pieces of aircraft the further he progressed in his field. It was evident an aircraft came down during the storm, he then raised the alarm, soon after the rescue and recovery teams of RAF Carew arrived, but to no avail. It was obvious the crew had perished in the crash. The next couple of days comprised of the teams recovering aircraft fragments and body parts from this field and others along the route of the crash over a large area and into the neighbouring farm.
During the investigation it was then found that LA882 had indeed been struck by lighting, causing the aircraft to explode in mid-air. It was also found that the aircraft had been affected by extreme turbulence with evidence of tearing and warping of airframe components.
The AM Form 1180:
“A/C struck by lighting and dived into the ground: - Investigation: - Cause of accident must be attributed to the pilot losing control of aircraft when flying in close proximity to a severe thunderstorm in addition to vert severe air turbulence which must undoubtedly had been encountered, the aircraft was actually struck by lightning.”
Crew:
Sgt Richard Curnow 21yo 1316951 RAFVR. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of William Stanley and Millicent Curnow of Redruth.
F/Sgt William Herbert Oakley 21yo R/153350 RCAF. Nav’. Killed. 2
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel W. Oakley of Toronto Ontario Canada.
P/O Michael Hilary Watson 18yo 152507 RAFVR. Bdr. Killed. 3
Son of Leonard Francis and Madeline Mary Watson of Preston Hall.
Sgt George Walter William Crick 21yo 1424703 RAFVR. Wop/AG. 4
Son of George A. Crick and Mary J. Crick, of Wandsworth.
Sgt Ivan Henry Hill 19yo 1819780 RAFVR. A/Gnr. Killed. 5
Son of George Henry and Mary Hill, of Kingston-on-Soar.
Sgt Leonard Walter Coleman 28yo 906887 RAFVR. A/Gnr. Killed. 6
Son of Walter Thomas Coleman and Lydia Elizabeth Coleman, of Plumstead.
Burial:
1 Illogan Cemetery. Plot B. Grave 131.
2 Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery. Plot 51. Section H. Row R. Grave 246.
3 Aylesford Cemetery. Section A. Grave 264.
4 Streatham Cemetery. Block 12. Grave 1147.
5 Kingston-on-Soar (St Winifreds) Churchyard.
6 Plumstead Cemetery. Section K. Grave 63.
Wreckage:
Some fragments still turn up but please note. The site is on private farmland and permission is needed.
Additional Information:
RAF Stanton Harcourt.
It is notable for having been a transit point for Winston Churchill and for being a starting point for a bomber raid on the Kreigsmarine battle cruiser Scharnhorst. The runways are, for the most part, now gone, but some of the original buildings remain including a turret trainer, crew room and various other buildings. The hangars have been converted into office and industrial units.
When the station was still under construction, it was bombed and strafed by several Luftwaffe Junkers Ju-88’s. Five contractors working on the runway were killed, four more died later from wounds. It was one of the worst single losses of life.
Sources:
rafabingdon10otu.co.uk
cwgc.org
www.britishaviation-ptp.com
www.lancasterbombers.net
www.rafcommands.com
www.losses.internationalalbcc.co.uk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-May-2020 19:50 | ordavies | Added |
| 14-Jun-2020 21:47 | Reno Raines | Updated [Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Damage, Narrative, Plane category, Operator] |
| 12-Nov-2023 12:53 | Davies 62 | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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