ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 162893
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Saturday 19 April 1941 |
| Time: | 16:25 LT |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 25 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | P1248 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Concord Park, Shiregreen, Sheffield, South Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Finningley, South Yorkshire |
| RAF Finningley, South Yorkshire |
At 16.25 hours on 19th April 1941 this aircraft was flying over Sheffield when it struck a barrage balloon cable while the pilot was undertaking an instrument flying training flight.
Pilot Officer Ralph Athelsie Pole Allsebrook was on a flying on instruments exercise. His navigator keeping a look out for him was Pilot Officer Jeffery Bohsun Ranson. Cunningham. Peakland Air Crashes – The Central Area notes their flight commander back at RAF Finningley had decided a wireless operator would not be needed for the flight, which was unfortunate because when P/O Allsebrook strayed from the designated area in low cloud, P/O Ranson could not see what was ahead of them and having no wireless op meant the warning signals from the barrage balloons were not picked up.
P/O Allsebrook managed to get out and parachute down, landing at the other side of Concord Park. P/O Ranson, however, did not. It is not known whether he was killed by the cable cutting into the aircraft, or whether he was injured and unable to bail out or whether he tried to but for some reason was unable to get out in time. The witness statement below is interesting because he recalls seeing two parachutes.
The inquiry took into account the poor visibility and that the crew had strayed from their planned area and were effectively lost. The flight commander was criticised and the court ruled that subsequent flights must have on board a wireless operator.
The aircraft lost part of it's port wing and was a result entered an uncontrollable dive from which the pilot was the only one able to bale out before the aircraft crashed near Concord Park, Shiregreen, Sheffield. The instructor was killed and the survivor sustained injuries on landing, he recovered to become one of the countries finest bomber pilots and later was hand picked to serve in 617 Sqaudron, commonly referred to as the Dam Busters.
Pilot - P/O Ralf Athelsie Pole Allsebrook RAFVR (62267). Of Cark-in-Cartmel, Lancashire. Injured.
Observer/Instructor - F/O Jeffrey Bohun Ranson RAFVR (61957), aged 26, of East Hanningfield, Essex. Buried Sheffield (City Road) Cemetery, Yorkshire (H/994).
The crash site above is on the edge of the golf course where Concord Park is bordered by Woolley Woods, just north of the present day Meadowhall Shopping Centre.
Hampden P1248 was built to contract 773239/38 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was awaiting collection in October 1940. Deemed surplus to requirements, the aircraft was placed in long term MU storage until being taken on charge by the newly formed 25 OTU at Finningley on 1st March 1941. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded following the incident in Sheffield on 19th April 1941, and the aircraft was struck off charge
Sources:
1. http://aircrashsites.co.uk/raf-crash-sites-1939-1942/012p/
2. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/p1248.html
3. http://www.chrishobbs.com/sheffield/sheffplanecrashesww2.htm
4. http://www.specialforcesroh.com/showthread.php?19779-Allsebrook-Ralf-Athelsie-Pole&p=27829&viewfull=1#post27829
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2413579/ranson,-jeffery-bohun/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Dec-2013 13:37 | gerard57 | Added |
| 24-Jul-2018 17:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Nov-2018 19:17 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation