ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 210067
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| Date: | Wednesday 29 November 1939 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IF |
| Owner/operator: | 604 (County of Middlesex) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L6601 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Bell Common, near Epping, Essex, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF North Weald, Essex |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Blenheim L6601: Took off for Night flight. 29/11/1939
Dived into the ground at night, Bell Common, near Epping. (at approximate co ordintes 51.68°N, 00.08°E)
Crew:
F/O (90123) Philip Clifton WHEELER (pilot) RAF : killed
LAC (804281) Vernon Henry OLIVER (WOp/AG) RAF :killed
According to the following published source (see link #7):
"November 29, 1939.
In addition to the Hawker Hurricane squadrons stationed at North Weald, the airfield was host to a number of passing communications and training aircraft and a squadron of night fighters. The night fighter element consisted of twin engine Bristol Blenheim aircraft not possessing any more superior night flying aids than those fitted into the Hurricane's excepting a second engine and crew member.
From September 1939 the 'night fighter' squadron allotted to the Essex airfield was 604, equipped with the short nosed mark 1 Blenheim. L6601 was one of their aircraft. The pilot on that evening, Flying Officer P C Wheeler, aged 29, was a pre-war member of the Auxiliary Air Force. Gaining his pilot's brevet in late July 1936 he had accumulated 386 hours of flying time, 59 of which were on the Blenheim.
The purpose of the evening flight was to train for night fighting. The other, rear seat, member of the two-man crew was L.A/C Vernon. The engines started normally. The Blenheim moved out and took off towards Epping town (in those days the runways were still grass, allowing most permutations in take off and landing direction).
The aircraft was flying at around 1,000 feet over Bell Common, to the south of Epping in a steep climb when it fell sharply into fields near the modern motorway tunnel mouth.
The subsequent Court of Enquiry found that Flying Officer Wheeler, whilst undertaking a turn in particularly dark conditions, lost sight of ground references, due partly to the surrounding bulk of the pair of engines, allowing the aircraft to enter a steeper than usual wing down attitude and lose height.
Witnesses on the ground, including a Mrs Church of Nazeing, thought they saw signs of engine problems prior to the crash. Such a matter, if the RAF had known it, may have resulted in a slightly different result but was of little real consequence in wartime.
Blenheim L6601 was built by A V Roe and delivered to 24MU on November 17, 1938 prior to issue to 604 squadron on June 21 the following year. At the time of its loss it was a little over one year old."
It is notable that the official Air Ministry Board of Inquiry File into the accident (File AIR 81/1698) is closed until 1 January 2056 - over 116 years after the date of the accident. The decision to keep the file closed was taken in 2015 on the grounds of "Exemption 1: Personal information where the applicant is a 3rd party" and "Exemption 2: Information provided in confidence".
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 44)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1698: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16359600
3. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939a.htm
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2706773/wheeler,-philip-clifton/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2691125/oliver,-vernon-henry/
6. http://nwamuseum.co.uk/IncidentsWestEssexto2000-1.pdf
7. http://www.brynelliott.co.uk/about_htm_files/WESTESSEXcrashesMishaps3WW2.pdf
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Common
9. http://www.nwamuseum.co.uk/remembering.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Apr-2018 20:09 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 24-Jun-2018 23:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 26-Sep-2018 10:45 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 25-Jun-2019 01:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Jun-2019 02:05 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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