Date:	Thursday 6 May 1954
Time:	day
Type:	North American Harvard T Mk 2B
Owner/operator:	22 FTS RAF
Registration:	KF355
MSN:	14A-2056
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Dykes End, South Collingham, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
North American Harvard T.2B KF355: Delivered to the RAF in October 1950. Known RAF service was with 2 FTS (October 1950 to May 1951), 6 FTS (May 1951 to November 1953) and 22 FTS (from November 1953)

Written off (destroyed) 6/5/54: The aircraft was seen to be flying at a straight and level attitude, and at an altitude of 1,500 feet. It as then seen to dive vertically into the ground, at Dykes End, South Collingham, Lincolnshire, killing the pilot. The reason for the sudden and fatal dive into the ground was never established

Crew of Harvard KF355
Upper Yardman Francis Keith Curras-Thompson RN (pilot, aged 25) - killed on active service 6/5/54. Memorial plaque at New Malden Methodist Church, New Malden, Surrey (see link #4). It is inscribed: "TO THE GLORY OF GOD IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF P.O. FRANCIS KEITH CURRAS-THOMPSON R.N. A MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH WHO LOST HIS LIFE SERVING HIS COUNTRY MAY 6th 1954. THY WILL BE DONE".

South Collingham is located on the banks of the River Trent on the A1133 main road, just off the A46. It is approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from Newark-on-Trent, on the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire border at approximate co ordinates 53°08′52″N 0°45′33″W

NOTE: The pupil pilot was a Royal Navy rating - the rank of "Upper Yardman" is that of a Naval Rating who was judged as suitable for training and promotion to an Officer. His official rank and listing at the time was CURRAS-THOMPSON, Francis K, Aircraft Artificer (A.A.) 4th class, Service Number FX 669261, and he was attached to HMS Gamecock (the Royal Naval Air Station) at Bramcote, Warwickshire

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.158 ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. The Harvard File (John F. Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988 p.121)
3. Category Five; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1954 to 2009 by Colin Cummings p.55
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File ADM 1/25335: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4846447 (File has incorrect serial "AF355" on it instead of KF355)
5. https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/63274
6. https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1954.htm
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collingham,_Nottinghamshire
8. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Apr-2020 22:07	Dr. John Smith	Added
09-Apr-2020 22:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]
10-Apr-2020 08:41	Investig	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator]
24-Apr-2020 00:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]