ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 193403
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| Date: | Wednesday 26 April 1944 |
| Time: | 04:00 |
| Type: |  Consolidated Liberator GR Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 547 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | BZ882 |
| MSN: | 161 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cardigan Bay, approx. 9 miles north of Fishguard -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | RAF St Eval, Cornwall, England |
| RAF St Eval |
Crashed during exercises with a submarine when testing new radar equipment.
The aircraft was seen from the submarine to pass low overhead, turn away, and then slowly descend into the sea. All crew died in, or as the result of the crash.*
Sqn/Ldr K.T.P. Terry DFC (33523) RAF, pilot.
F/O N.O. Smith (J/24459) RCAF, co-pilot.
W/O E.S. Chegwidden (639148) RNZAF, WOp/AG.
F/O J.H. Corless (51332) RAF.
F/Sgt K. Fawcett (1196180) RAFVR, WOp/AG.
P/O D.S. Richards (141152) RAFVR.
Sgt R.H. Walters (1653803) RAFVR.
Flt/Lt T. Hinde (411896) RNZAF, Navigator.
F/O M.E. Heels (149166) RAFVR.
Sgt W.W. Chancey (798750) RAFVR.
R.I.P.
*Sqn/Ldr Terry and F/O Smith were picked up by the submarine but died soon after being landed at Fishguard.
Details:
Liberator GR Mk.V
General Reconnaissance Mk.V for RAF Coastal Command for anti-submarine role with radar (some mounted under the nose) and Leigh Light. Some fitted with eight zero-length rocket launchers, four on each wing, with others being fitted with stub-wings either side of the lower forward fuselage to hold eight RP-3 rails.
547 squadron RAF.
The squadron formed at RAF Holmsley South on the 21st of October 1942 and was equipped with Wellingtons, it converted to Liberators and patrolled the Bay of Biscay. The squadron was formed as solely as a Coastal Command anti-shipping and anti-submarine squadron.
Squadron Summary of events.
“Resume of Squadron Activity.
The squadron has offered two aircraft per day for operations throughout this period and has employed up to two daily on training purposes. Flying and ground training has been as detailed in March Records, with the addition of night flying for training in Flare Dropping which has been combined with night Oasthouses exercises.
Aircraft on strength 31-3-44 = 15.
Aircraft allotted A-R & V. = 17.
Aircraft received ‘A’ = BZ822, ‘E’ = EV897, ‘C’ = BZ879, ‘J’ = BZ763 & ‘N’ = EV995, total = 16.
Aircraft lost. ‘W’ & ‘Q’ = 14.
Meteorological Report. Fine.
In the early morning of the 26th April, whilst carrying out a night flying exercise S/Ldr Terry and crew complete, in addition F/O Carless (Squadron Radar Leader), crashed into the sea in Cardigan Bay. (See Casualties). Whilst on an Operation flight in the Bay* F/O Dyer & crew were lost.”
*Bay of Biscay*.
The squadron records I found were very vague and disjointed, The ‘Records of Events’ do not even mention the crash of BZ882, what follows, I’ve taken from the casualty list for the month of April which I found further down the report.
“Casualties.
Officers.
12-4-44. P/O J.R. Dyer 148431 pilot missing on Op’s.
26-4-44. P/O T. Hinde N.Z.411896 missing believed killed.
P/O N.O. Smith Can J.24459 Killed as a result of A/C accident on 26-4-44.
S/Ldr K.T.P. Terry 33523 pilot of ‘Q’. Killed.
F/O J.H. Corless 51332 Wop/AG } Missing as a result of A/C accident 26-4-44.
F/O M.E. Heels 149166 Wop/AG }
P/O D.S. Richards 141152 Nav }
N.C.O’s.
12-4-44 812291 Sgt WoM/AG Wood L.A. }
1267276 F/Sgt WoP/AG Sutton N.H. } Missing as a result of Air Op’s
1682055 Sgt F/Engr Crosbie C.C. } of 12-4-44.
Aus 410579 F/Sgt Nav,B Webb K.W. }
Aus 417643 F/Sgt Nav,B Colduey M.R. }
Aus 421846 F/Sgt Wop/AG Poster K.R. }
Aus 421867 F/Sgt Pilot Swanbury W.G. }
Aus 422141 F/Sgt Wop/AG Daniels E. }
26-4-44 NZ 639148 W/O Wop/AG Chagwidder A.G. } Missing on A/C accident 26-4-44.
798760 Sgt Wop/AG Chancey W.W. }
196180 F/Sgt Wop/AG Fawcett K. }
653803 Sgt F/Engr Walters R.H. }”
The findings of the AM 1180.
“The crew of Liberator aircraft BZ 882 took off at 02:00hrs were engaged in an anti-U-boat training exercise, testing new radar equipment, when they crashed at sea in Cardigan Bay, nine miles north of Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The aircraft was seen from the submarine to pass low overhead, turn away, and then slowly descend into the sea, crashing at 04:00hrs. All crew died in, or as the result of the crash.”
Crew:
S/Ldr Kenneth Thomas Peart Terry 23yo 33523 RAF. Pilot. Killed. 1
Son of Noel Goddard Terry and Kathleen Terry of Dringhouses, York.
F/O Norman Owen Smith 23yo J/24459 RCAF. Co-Pilot. Killed. 2
Son of John Louis and Gertrude Annie Smith of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
F/O Dennis Stuart Richards 27yo 141152 RAFVR. Missing/Killed. 3
Son of Stuart Edward Bloxam Richards and Mona Violet Richards of Southport, Lancashire.
F/O Joseph Horrace Corless 24yo 51332 RAF. Missing/Killed. 4
Son of Thomas Joseph and Anne Elizabeth Corless; husband of Williamina Agnes Corless, of Gauldswell, Perthshire.
F/O Mark Edward Heels 24yo 149166 RAFVR. A/Gnr. Killed. 5
Son of Mark Heels and Mary Ann Alice Heels, of Islington.
F/Lt Thomas Hinde 25yo 411896 RNZAF. Missing/Killed. 6
Son of Thomas Swain Hinde and Mary Hinde; husband of Linda Beryl Hinde, Wellington, NZ.
W/O Ellias Stout Chegwidden 24yo 639148 RNZAF. Missing/Killed. 7
Son of Abigale L. Chegwidden (nee Parker), of Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand.
F/Sgt Kenneth Fawcett 29yo 1196180 RAFVR. W/Op-A/Gnr. Missing/Killed. 8
Son of John Thomas Fawcett and Dora Annie Fawcett; husband of Joyce Fawcett, of Thornton Steward, Yorkshire.
Sgt Wallace Wilber Chancey 20yo 798750 RAFVR. Missing/Killed. 9
Son of George Wilbur Chancey and Beatrice Maud Chancey of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Sgt Raymond Henry Walters 20yo 1653803 RAFVR. Missing/Killed. 10
Son of Henry and Dorothy Mary Walters, of Swansea.
Buried:
1 York (Dringhouses) Burial Ground. Grave 473.
2 Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Section A. Grave 808.
3 Runnymede Memorial. Panel 208.
4 Runnymede Memorial. Panel 205.
5 Abney Park Cemetery. Section H.8. Grave RN.54721.
6 Runnymede Memorial. Panel 262.
7 Runnymede Memorial. Panel 263.
8 Runnymede Memorial. Panel 217.
9 Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery. Plot 39. Section H. Row C. Grave 245.
10 Runnymede Memorial. Panel 239.
Wreckage:
Archaeological remains associated with the loss of this aircraft are not confirmed as present at this location but may be in the vicinity. Although not precisely located on the seabed, any remains of this aircraft are designated as a Controlled Site under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
Memorials:
CWGC Headstones. Canadian and Kiwi virtual memorials. Runnymede Royal Air Force Memorial.
Additional Information:
Squadron Leader K.T.P. Terry.
He was the great grandson of Sir Joseph Terry who established the business, Terry’s of York, famous to generations for Terry’s All Gold and Chocolate Orange-the company history stretching back to 1767. It was his father, Noel however, who really made the company famous.
Noel married Kathleen Leetham in 1915 and they went on to have four children, Kenneth being one-the others were: Peter, Betty and Richard.
Sergeant W.W. Chancey was born during 1924 at St John’s, Avalon Peninsula Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
B24 Liberator GR V BZ882 was 42-63923, a B-24D spec’ Liberator for the USAAF when she came off the production line and carried the MSN 161.
Sources:
rafcommands.com
RAFWeb Casualties 1944
www.cwgc.org.uk
www.findagrave.com
www.unpath'dwaters.ads.ac.uk
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Feb-2017 20:08 | ORD | Added |
| 12-Feb-2018 17:06 | Nepa | Updated [Operator] |
| 29-Nov-2018 17:47 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 19-Feb-2022 04:16 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Mar-2022 05:31 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 04-Apr-2024 07:20 | Davies 62 | Updated [Time, Cn, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
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