Date:	Tuesday 28 February 1933
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Fury Mk I
Owner/operator:	43 Sqn RAF
Registration:	K1936
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1 mile from Halnaker, near RAF Tangmere, West Sussex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex
Destination airport:	RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Hawker Fury Mk.I K1936, 43 Squadron, RAF Tangmere: Written off (destroyed) 28/2/33 in mid air collision with Hawker Fury Mk.I K1933 in circuit, RAF Tangmere, Chichester, Sussex. Aircraft went out of control and dived into the ground after impact one mile from Halnaker, near Chichester, West Sussex (at approximate co ordinates 50.86508°N 0.71193°W). Pilot of K1936 - Pilot Officer Robert Vincent Rolph (aged 20) - was killed.

Pilot Officer Robert Vincent Rolph died in collision with Pilot Officer Colin Campbell McMullen (who sustained slight injuries, but landed ok at Tangmere) they were both with 43 Squadron, RAF Tangmere. P/O Rolph was born in Canada in 1913, educated at Loyola College, entering RAF in 1931. Awarded Sword of Honour. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("The Ottawa Journal" from Ottawa, Canada, Tuesday, February 28, 1933 Page 1 - see link #3)

"Two Machines Crash Canadian Pilot Dies
TANGMERE, Sussex. England, Feb. 28.
Pilot Officer. Robert Vincent Rolph, of Montreal, was instantly killed today when his fury aeroplane crashed with a similar machine piloted by Pilot Officer Colin Campbell McMullen, who was only slightly injured. Pilot Officer Rolph was one of the most premising officers in the Royal Air Force. He received his commission last December after passing out of the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, to which he had been nominated by the Canadian Government. He was the year's best cadet and was awarded the sword of honor at the passing out examination."

According to his grave marker in Chichester Cemetery, Robert Rolph was born in Lachine, Quebec.

1. Air-Britain The K File The RAF of the 1930s
2. Nottingham Evening Post, Nottinghamshire, England 1 Apr 1933
3. The Ottawa Journal from Ottawa, Canada, Tuesday, February 28, 1933 Page 1
4. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=16948
5. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17674-RAF-Fatalities-1933&styleid=3
7. http://aircrewremembered.com/rolph-robert.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halnaker

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Oct-2009 08:48	JINX	Added
09-Oct-2009 08:48	JINX	Updated
28-Jun-2011 01:31	ThW	Updated [Source, Narrative]
18-Jan-2012 09:44	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Source]
18-Jan-2012 09:44	Nepa	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source]
13-Jul-2013 18:35	JINX	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
02-Aug-2013 14:14	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport]
04-Aug-2013 14:47	JINX	Updated [Operator, Location]
06-Jun-2015 15:40	Shuntt	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
14-May-2018 17:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
20-Apr-2020 20:28	AlLach	Updated [Operator, Operator]
11-Sep-2022 13:15	Richard	Updated [Narrative]