Date:	Friday 24 October 1947
Time:
Type:	de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito NF Mk 36
Owner/operator:	85 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RL215
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Tunbury Wood, Chatham, Kent, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF West Malling, Kent
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Mosquito RL215: Took off for Night training flight. 24/10/1947
Crashed on night flying at Tunbury Wood, Chatham, Kent. Mosquito made a forced-landing in a wood in Kent after developing engine trouble.
Crew:
F/O (200704) John Edmund HERRINGTON (pilot) RAFVR - killed.
F/O (194400) Gerald Hugh COOMBES (nav.) RAFVR - seriously injured

"East Kent Gazette - Saturday 1 November 1947
AIR CRASH AT CHATHAM
When an RAF Mosquito from West Malling crashed in flames near her home in Walderslade, Chatham, Mrs. Martha Atkinson (53) ran to the wreckage and pulled out the navigator, Flying Officer Gerald Coombes. She tore his burning clothing from him and gave first aid until an ambulance arrived. The pilot, F/O Herrington, was killed. F/O Coombes is on the danger list at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester."

"Western Morning News - Monday 3 November 1947
CITY PILOT DIES
Avoided Built-Up Area in Blazing Mosquito
F/O John E. Herrington, son of Capt. and Mrs. W. W. Herrington, of Culme-road, Mannamead, Plymouth, received fatal injuries recently, when the Mosquito aircraft in which he was carrying out a routine flight developed engine trouble and caught fire. He was flying over a built-up area in Kent, but was able to make a forced landing in a wood. His injured navigator was rescued.

He had been in the R.A.F. since 1942, and was one of the first members of the Plymouth Air Defence Cadet Corps and Air Training Corps. Last year F/O. Herrington married Miss Eileen Boeree, also of Plymouth."

The Daily Mirror of October 25th 1947 names the navigator as F/O Gerald Coombs, aged 21, who was taken to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester, with serious injuries, after having been pulled from the burning wreck by Mrs. Martha Atkinson, aged 53 of Walderslade, Kent.

The East Kent Gazette of December 27th 1947 reported an event at Chatham Town Hall when Mrs. Atkinson was presented with an inscribed clock and a cheque from personnel of 85 Squadron in recognition of her bravery in saving P/O Coombs.

1. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
2. East Kent Gazette - Saturday 1 November 1947,
3. Western Morning News - Monday 3 November 1947
4. Daily Mirror - Saturday 25 October 1947
5. ORB 85 Sqdn RAF
6. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8420627
7. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2655515/john-edmund-herrington/
9. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=16037.0
10. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?24893-471024-Unaccounted-Airwoman-amp-Airmen-24-10-1947&p=144251#post144251
11. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143793035/john-edmund-herrington

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Feb-2014 13:35	Nepa	Added
28-May-2014 14:55	Nepa	Updated [Location, Departure airport]
20-Aug-2014 19:56	Lotos	Updated [Location, Narrative]
22-Oct-2014 19:56	Quentin	Updated [Total fatalities, Location, Narrative]
31-Jul-2015 11:14	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type]
19-Oct-2015 19:45	Rata	Updated [Narrative]
02-May-2019 21:07	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator]
02-May-2019 21:07	Nepa	Updated [Nature, Operator]
11-Aug-2019 08:22	stehlik49	Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Narrative]
11-Aug-2019 15:53	Nepa	Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator]
28-Nov-2019 23:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative]
28-Nov-2019 23:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
30-Nov-2019 06:50	Nepa	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, Operator]
14-Feb-2020 18:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
19-Feb-2020 00:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Jul-2020 19:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]
03-Feb-2021 18:48	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, Operator]
20-Aug-2021 22:08	TB	Updated [Time, Narrative, Operator]
03-Oct-2021 09:27	Nepa	Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator]
22-Aug-2022 21:37	Nepa	Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator]
27-Aug-2022 21:42	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator]
07-May-2023 18:44	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Narrative, Operator]]
08-May-2023 17:47	Nepa	Updated [[[Narrative, Operator]]]