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Flight Lieutenant
David L. F. Adam
Royal Air Force
18th March 1991
Age 48
Treasured memories of a
devoted husband, father
and brother.
Respected and loved
by all who knew him. |
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David Laird Ferguson Adam
Flight Lieutenant
24th July 1942
Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
18th March 1991
48
Royal Air Force
Grave 42
Son of Joseph and Irene Adam. |
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In the late afternoon of 18 March 1991 three RAF crew were authorised to conduct a training sortie from RAF Wyton in Canberra T4 WJ877, including a Simulated Engine Failure after Take Off (SEFATO, a routine practice emergency that Canberra crews were required to complete under supervision periodically). The captain was a highly experienced QFI, accompanied by an equally experienced staff navigator and 2nd pilot. There were no known operating hazards at Wyton and, although it was raining, the weather was fair with a southerly wind at 20kts.
The handling pilot transmitted a request for take off and SEFATO and acknowledged the clearance for both. No further radio transmissions were made to or from the aircraft. Because the Canberra was not fitted with a flight data recorder and the crew were all killed, the precise sequence of events that followed could not be established beyond doubt. But it is assumed that the take-off went as briefed with the 2nd pilot in control, and the QFI simulated an engine failure shortly after lift off by closing one of the throttles.
A number of eye witnessed reported that the take-off appeared to be normal until a point abeam the Air Traffic Control tower when, shortly after the undercarriage had retracted, the aircraft banked to the left, returned to approximately wings level, and then banked slightly to the right. After pausing in this attitude, the right bank began to increase and the aircraft began to turn increasingly sharply and descend until it crashed into the ground.
The Board of Inquiry was able to eliminate a number of possible causes, but were unable to determine with certainty the precise cause of the accident. They concluded that the most likely cause was loss of control following the SEFATO.
The crew that died were later named as RAF Wyton Station Commander Group Captain McKendrick, QFI Flt. Lt. David Adam and Staff Navigator Flt. Lt. Stephen Wilkinson.
The above information can be found on Aviation Safety Network |
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403415
Sergeant
Kenneth Aird
Royal Australian
Air Force
30th May 1942
Age 33
The gift of God
is eternal life. |
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Kenneth Aird
Sergeant
403415
4th March 1909
Bangor, Ireland
30th May 1942
33
Royal Australian Air Force
Grave 7 (New part)
Son of Dr. Ivie Aird and Ella Margaret Aird,
husband of Marcia Clarice Aird,
of Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia. |
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Alfred
Altenkirch
born 20.9.1924
fallen 4.3.1945 |
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Alfred Altenkirch
Unteroffizier
20th September 1924
Bergeow
4th March 1945
20
Deutsche Luftwaffe
7th Staffel Nachtjagdgeschwader 5
Grave 6 (New part)
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Flight Lieutenant
G. C. R. Barefoot
Royal Air Force
17th November 1973
Age 48
In loving and
treasured memory
Mother, Judy and family
those friends thou hast. |
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405130
Sergeant
J. H. Barry
Royal N. Z. Air Force
11th November 1942
Age 22 |
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James Harold Barry
Sergeant (Navigator)
405130
abt. 1920
11th November 1942
22
Royal New Zealand Air Force
57 (R. A. F.) Squadron
Grave 8 (New part)
Son of Patrick Barry and of
Laura Elena Barry (nee O'Brien),
of Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand. |
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926312
Aircraftman 2nd Cl.
R. W. Bennett
Royal Air Force
20th July 1940 |
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Robert William Bennett
Aircraftman 2nd Class
926312
abt. 1916
20th July 1940
24
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Grave 2 (Old part)
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Flight Lieutenant
N. W. J. Bevis
Royal Air Force
5th April 1966
Age 40
There was no other
good enough
to pay the price of sin |
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N. W. J. Bevis
Flight Lieutenant
1852951
abt. 1926
5th April 1966
40
Royal Air Force
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Flight Lieutenant
H. R. Birch
Royal Air Force
22nd January 1951
Age 27
Until the day break
Jean and David |
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Herbert R. Birch
Flight Lieutenant
abt. 1924
22nd January 1951
27
Royal Air Force
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Flight Lieutenant
D. G. Blackwell
Royal Air Force
3rd July 1958
Age 24
Treasured memories of
our dear son
until the day break
and shadows flee away. |
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D. G. Blackwell
Flight Lieutenant
4096972
abt. 1934
3rd July 1958
24
Royal Air Force
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Flight Lieutenant Blackwell was a member of a crew of the Avro Vulcan B.1 with the registration XH 497.
The nose wheel fell off on take off on RAF Scampton. Rear crew subsequently bailed out during which one navigator was killed when his parachute failed to open over Waddington. Aircraft eventually landed back at Scampton, and only suffered minor damage, following a text book landing by the two pilots.
The aircraft was repaired and later converted to B1A standard in 1962.
The above information can be found on Aviation Safety Network |
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580692
Sergeant
H. A. Bowmer
Royal Air Force
2nd August 1940
Age 21 |
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Harry Alexander Bowmer
Sergeant
580692
abt. 1919
2nd August 1940
21
83 Sqdn. Royal Air Force
Grave 3 (Old part)
Son of Matthew Noel Bowmer and of
Winifred Ethel Bowmer (nee Lunn),
of Liverpool. |
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404849
Sergeant
J. A. G. Browne
Royal Australian
Air Force
31st January 1943
Age 25 |
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James Arthur Gerald Browne
Sergeant
404849
31st December 1917
31st January 1943
25
Royal Australian Air Force
Grave 25 (New part)
Son of Francis Atkins Browne and
Olive Eglantine Shuckburgh Browne,
of Roma, Queensland, Australia,
husband of Marjorie Sylvia Browne,
of Southgate, Middlesex, England. |
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The last raid of the month was to the U-boat base and industrial city of Hamburg. Situated on the River Elbe and close to the coastline of north west Germany, this target proved ideal for the first ever use of H2S. Pathfinder Halifaxes and Stirlings used this new device to mark the target for the 148 strong attacking force. Eleven Lancasters lifted from Fiskerton around midnight into a lear, cold, starlit night, with a promise of good weather on their return.
Hamburg received a scattered attack with many of the bombs falling in the river or surrounding wetlands. Five Lancasters were lost on the raid, but all of 49's aircraft headed for home across the North Sea. About an hour out from base, the returning aircraft were informed that the cloud base over Fiskerton was down to 600 feet and that in the driving rain, visibility was 600 yards. The WAAF controller strongly advised crews to land away. Four aircraft heeded this advice and this left just one aircraft outstanding... aloft in the gloom of this miserable Sunday morning were the tired young men in F/Sgt Elliot Cole's crew.
In their flak damaged Lancaster, the crew groped around in the murky sky over Fiskerton airfield, searching desperately for a clear gap that would give them a glimpse of the flarepath, home and safety. The 23 year old Australian pilot made his approach from the north west, heading for one of the shorter runways. The Lancaster had just passed low over Hawthorn Road, close to the village of Reepham when Q-Queenie suddenly thumped into the ground after hitting a tree; the time was 07.15hrs. For those listening on the ground the crash came with a sickening jolt. Crash crews, already in their vehicles sheltering from the rain, sped off in the direction of the sound. 'Queenie' had in fact come down on the opposite side of the main Grimsby to Lincoln railway line, making access very difficult for the rescuers. Miraculously, the mid/upper gunner, Sgt E. Phillips had survived, but sadly the other six members of the crew had all perished; it was a very tragic end to a dreadful morning.
The crew of the Lancaster ED428, coded EA-Q, was:
F/S E. L. Cole, R. A. A. F., Pilot (Killed)
Sgt F. S. T. S. Pittard, F/E (Killed)
F/O F. Ridley, Navigator (Killed)
Sgt J. A. G. Browne, R. A. A. F., Wireless Op./Air Gunner (Killed)
Sgt E. Phillips, Wireless Op./Air Gunner (Injured)
F/S L. Grey, R. A. A. F., B/A (Killed)
Sgt W. C. Wood, R/G (Killed)
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401751
Flight Lieutenant
C. H. Butt
Pilot
Royal N. Z. Air Force
4th November 1942
Age 22 |
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Charles Henry Butt
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot)
401751
abt. 1920
4th November 1942
22
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Grave 10 (New part)
Son of Ernest Alexander and
Hilda Jessie Butt,
of Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand. |
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