Date:	Thursday 3 November 1949
Time:	night
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	148 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TW908
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	English Channel, 8 miles South of Selsey Bill, West Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Upwood, Huntingdonshire
Destination airport:	RAF Upwood, Huntingdonshire

Narrative:
On 3-11-1949, No.29 Sqn Mosquito NF.36 RL116, collided in mid-air with No.148 Sqn Lancaster I TW908 8 miles South of Selsey Bill, West Sussex, during a 'Bullseye' Exercise. One killed and one missing from Mosquito, seven missing from Lancaster. According to a pair of contemporary newspaper reports: ("Birmingham Daily Gazette - Friday 4 November 1949):

"R.A.F. PLANES DIVE INTO THE SEA.
MID-AIR CRASH.
NINE LOST.
AFTER an R.A.F. bomber and a fighter collided and crashed in flames off the Isle of Wight last night, the 81,000-ton liner Queen Mary made a 20-minute detour and prepared to look for survivors. Most of the liner's 1,000 passengers, bound for Southampton from New York, were at dinner when lookouts reported a "colossal flame," 50ft. high, four miles south of the island. They thought a large tanker was on fire.

Lifeboats ready.
Capt. Harry Grattage immediately altered course, increased speed and the crew stood by at "lifeboat stations." Then the Swedish steamer Patria radioed that a plane was in the sea six miles from the Nab Tower and said that she was going to its assistance.

As the Queen Mary swung back on her course, the sloop H.M.S. Redpole dashed out from Portsmouth and R.A.F. planes and rescue launches began to search the area. All that they found was some wreckage and a rubber dinghy.

Late last night the Air Ministry said that the aircraft involved in the crash were a Lancaster, from Upwood, Hunts, which normally carries a crew of about seven, and a Mosquito from West Mailing, Kent, with two on board. They were on night training flights.

Next of kin were being informed the Ministry said".

There was also a report in the "Gloucester Citizen" - Saturday 5 November 1949:

"CHELTENHAM PILOT'S BODY FOUND
After a search by ships and aircraft hopes faded last night for the nine R.A.F. men missing when a Lancaster bomber and a Mosquito collided and crashed into the sea off the Isle of Wight. A minesweeper, H.M.S. Romola, reported that she was returning to Portland with wreckage and a body believed to be that of the Mosquito pilot, Flying Officer A. L. Miller, whose home address was 23, Clarence-square, Cheltenham. He was 23 and single.

A landing wheel, the Lancaster's log book, and a rubber dinghy have also been found. The naval search was discontinued yesterday, but the R.A.F. continued to scour the area with rescue launches and aircraft. A large section of aeroplane wing washed ashore to-day at Middleton, near Bognor, Sussex, has been identified as belonging to one the planes."

Crew of Lancaster TW908:
Flying Officer (176665) Jack OLDHAM (pilot) RAF
Nav III Donald McUsbie McCALL (3065235)
Eng II Lyndon Harold STEVENS (1652959)
Sig I Eric George CLARKE (952163)
Gnr. II Sydney Arthur MASON (1595799)
Gnr. II Cyril James CHAPMAN (3050674)
Nav II William MELDRUM (3021210)

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.94 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.549
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain 1985 p.54)
4. De Havilland Mosquito Crash Log. Smith David J (comp.). Earl Shilton: Midland Counties Publications,1980 (2nd. rev. ed.). p.43
6. Birmingham Daily Gazette - Friday 04 November 1949
7. Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Friday 04 November 1949
8. Gloucester Citizen - Saturday 05 November 1949
9. Aberdeen Press and Journal - Saturday 05 November 1949
10. Dundee Courier - Saturday 05 November 1949
11. Nottingham Journal - Saturday 05 November 1949
12. The Scotsman - Friday 11 November 1949
13. Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian - Saturday 12 November 1949
14. Northampton Mercury - Friday 18 November 1949
15. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?15161-Lancaster-Mosquito-Mid-Air
16. http://wight.hampshireairfields.co.uk/iowc.html
17. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-avro-683-lancaster-b1-selsey-7-killed
18. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15355.0
19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selsey_Bill

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Aug-2013 14:38	Nepa	Added
08-Aug-2013 21:01	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Narrative]
28-Dec-2014 03:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Source, Narrative]
14-Feb-2020 00:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Feb-2020 22:06	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]