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Date: | Thursday 16 October 1941 |
Time: | 04:55 |
Type: | Bristol Beaufighter Mk IIF |
Owner/operator: | 255 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | R2377 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | North Sea, half a mile from Happisburgh, Norfolk, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Coltishall, Norfolk |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Beaufighter R2377: Time of crash variously reported as 04:55 and 05:15 hours, a/c crashed in flames into sea bearing 110 deg., half a mile from Happisburgh Lighthouse and directly offshore of Happisburgh Cart Gap. No.1 Cromer Life Boat (the "H F Bailey") launched at 05:46 hours, reaching the position at about 07:30 hours. Parts of the a/c were found, and "the shattered body of one of the crew" (Tom Varley, radar operator) which was landed at 10:00 hours. This was a Beaufighter IIF, and 255 Sqn had a spate of crashes caused by engine failures and the inability of the a/c to maintain height on one Merlin.
Crew:
F/Sgt (748632) Walter BARKER (pilot) RAFVR - killed
Sgt (977495) Tom VARLEY (obs) RAFVR - killed
Sources:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?12715-Crash-Beaufighter-255-Squadron-RAF, AIR27/1518, log of the Happisburgh ARP Warden (can be seen online at [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.happisburgh.org.uk/history/255-squadron),] research by relatives of Walter Barker (Pilot) and 255 Squadron Association.
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
07-Apr-2012 04:29 |
Nepa |
Added |
07-Apr-2012 04:43 |
Nepa |
Updated [Location] |
11-Nov-2014 14:05 |
Apen |
Updated [Location, Narrative] |
10-Mar-2015 07:56 |
angels one five |
Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Narrative] |
18-Mar-2015 12:22 |
Xindel |
Updated [Operator, Location] |
20-Apr-2015 04:16 |
angels one five |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
20-Apr-2015 04:35 |
Angel dot comma |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport] |
29-Jul-2015 13:31 |
chris eley |
Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
19-Apr-2022 09:05 |
Nepa |
Updated [Narrative, Operator] |