ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 211004
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| Date: | Friday 7 October 1932 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Vickers Virginia Mk X |
| Owner/operator: | 58 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | J8237 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Compton, near Godalming, Surrey -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Worthy Down, Winchester, Hampshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Virginia X J8237, 58 Squadron, RAF Worthy Down: Written off (destroyed) 7/10/32 when overturned on forced landing and caught fire, Compton, near Godalming, Surrey. The cause, as reported in numerous newspapers, was.."When the giant twin-engined Vickers-Virginia bomber was passing over Farncombe, it was realized that one of the engines was misfiring, and that the machine was probably doomed to destruction." Two of the six crew were killed, one was injured, and three parachuted to the ground unhurt:
Flying Officer Arthur Wilfrid Brian Page (aged 24) killed
Pilot Officer Bernard Henry Gully (aged 21) killed
AC.1 Reginald Charles Lewis (Service Number 353235. baled out, injured on landing)
AC.1 George Henry Ralphs (Service Number 512911, baled out, unhurt)
L.A/C William Herbert Quane (Service 512904, baled out, unhurt)
Corporal Frederick Edward Brooks (Service Number 319468, baled out, unhurt)
According to a contemporary local newspaper report (Evening Telegraph - Tuesday 11 October 1932) on the inquest into the deaths of the two crew members:
SURVIVOR'S STORY OF R.A.F. 'PLANE TRAGEDY.
OFFICER'S "JUMP FOR IT" ORDER.
2000 FEET PARACHUTE DESCENT.
Victim Only Identified by Driving License.
THE escape of four men of the Royal Air Force by parachute from a falling bombing aeroplane near Godalming, Surrey, and deaths of two officers were described to Mr G. Wills Taylor, the West Surrey Coroner, at a Godalming inquest to-day. The inquest was adjourned until November 22. The dead officers were Flying-Officer A. W. B. Page and Pilot-Officer B. H. Gully. People who were watching the aeroplane saw four men jump from the machine with parachutes. Gully remained at the controls, while Flying-Officer Page refused to leave until the four aircraftsmen jumped, and when he went over the side the bomber was too near the ground for his parachute to open. Aircraftsman Lewis broke a leg in landing. The others, who came down safely, were Leading-Aircraftsman Quane, Corporal Brooks, and Aircraftsman Ralphs.
The three men who escaped uninjured from the machine were in court. The Coroner said that it would be necessary to hold a very full inquiry, which would take some time. It would therefore be necessary to adjourn the inquest. The Coroner said that Pilot Officer Gully was so badly burned that it would be necessary to identify him by a driving license found on his body. Gully, the Coroner added, was only 21. Flying Officer Page was 24.
Squadron-Leader Smylie stated that the machine was a Vickers-Virginia bomber. Before it left Worthy Down all the regulation inspections were carried out. It was a middle-aged machine. Flying Officer Page, who was in charge, had flown it before. Squadron-Leader Smylie replied that he thought the regulations for service planes were even more strict than those for civilian aircraft.
Corporal Frederick E. Brooks said that he could throw no light on the cause of the accident. From the time they left Worthy Down he noticed nothing unusual. "I had been watching the revolution indicators and they showed nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "We had just started to take slight turn to the left which I thought was a navigation detail when I saw Mr.Cully apparently bending over his chartboard. We were then 2000 to 2500 feet up. The next I noticed was one of the officers banging on the machine with his hands to attract attention. I stood up in my cockpit and Flying- Officer Page said something like, 'Jump for it.' I had to wait until Mr Gully had clambered out before I could get through the communicating door. Then I signalled to Lewis and the others to jump. Mr Gully jumped off the right wing and I jumped off the port wing. The others went off the fuselage. Lewis was in the tail and had got away by that time." Brooks added that he had no idea what went wrong and jumped because he was ordered to do so. "When I left the plane," said Corporal Brooks, "Mr Gully was sitting with one foot on his seat and I took it he was going to make a dive for it as soon as he could."
Leading Aircraftsman William H. Quane also said that he knew of no reason for the accident. "When I heard the banging described by Brooks," he said, "the engine was running all right and I did not worry. Flying-Officer Page shouted 'jump.' Mr Gully stood on the top of the fuselage and made way for me to jump out. He did not go himself, but made way for me."
First Aircraftsman George H. Ralphs said that he noticed nothing happen to the plane except that it banked steeply.
The Coroner (to Squadron-Leader Smylie) — I suppose there is no doubt in your mind that the order to jump was given because there was something wrong, and not merely because the officer wanted the men to parachute down.
Squadron-Leader Smylie said that quite definitely if it had been intended that the men should make a parachute descent a special type of parachute would have been used. An R.A.F. medical officer said he thought Mr Page was probably caught in the propeller coming down.
Addressing the jury, the Coroner said it was clear that a direct intimation was given to the men to get clear of the machine. The evidence showed that Page knew there was something wrong. "I think the jury will unhesitatingly agree with me," added the Coroner, "that in very difficult circumstances the action of both Mr Page and Mr Gully was particularly heroic. It is another instance of the very fine tradition which has always been associated with the Services. He adjourned the inquest until Tuesday, November 22.”
Compton is a village and civil parish in the Guildford district of Surrey, England. It is between Godalming and Guildford.
Sources:
1. Dundee Courier Angus, Scotland 12 October 1932
2. Evening Telegraph - Tuesday 11 October 1932
3. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
4. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=6797.0
5. http://www.britishpathe.com/video/greater-love/query/crashes
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17601-RAF-fatalities-1932
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compton,_Guildford
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-May-2018 19:34 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 10-Nov-2018 07:14 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 04-Feb-2020 01:01 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 16-Jul-2022 22:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative, Category] |
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