ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 212162
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| Date: | Monday 2 May 1927 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Avro 504N |
| Owner/operator: | 2 FTS RAF |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Temple Bruer, near RAF Digby, Scopwick Heath, Lincolnshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Digby, Lincolnshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Avro 504N, 2 FTS, Digby: Written off (destroyed) 2/5/1927 when crashed, Temple Bruer, near Digby, Scopwick Heath, Lincolnshire. Pilot (and sole person on board) - Pilot Officer Keith Conway Blatchford (aged 18) died 3.5.27 of injuries sustained. He had been posted to No.2 Flying Training School, Digby, 18 January 1927. Although (officially) P/O Blatchford was flying solo, the following report states that there were, in fact, TWO persons on board the Avro 504N when it crashed. According to the following published item, said to be from a relative of the other "unofficial" crew member:
"My uncle Ernest had a "Terrible Crash" when he was training with 2 FTS, my mother told me when I was 8. As he was recovering his C.O. came to see him and said "Look here, Martin you and I know the accident was your fault. Normally you could expect a court martial, but if you are prepared to resign NOW (November 1927) we can forget all about it"
So he did. There is nothing in the operations diary about any accident at the time (April 1927) but there is a note that P/O Blatchford was killed flying alone in an Avro in May. I suspect he died a few days after the crash, and that although the record shows P/O Blatchford was alone, my uncle was in fact with him.
I would dearly like to find out what really happened. I told this tale to an ex RAF officer; he said "Sounds like a cover up to me. That may well be, not something that occurs to you when you are eight".
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1929.htm
2. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17307-RAF-fatalities-1927
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181242082/keith-conway-blatchford
4. http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/digby/digby_crash_192705.htm
5. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1920s-incident-logs#1927
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Jun-2018 20:20 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 23-Nov-2018 16:55 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Operator] |
| 20-Jul-2023 09:16 | Nepa | Updated [[Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Operator]] |
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