Date:	Tuesday 9 April 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	1 SFTS RAF
Registration:	K7609
MSN:	F.2367
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Collingbourne Kingston, 8 miles south of Marlborough, Wiltshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Netrheravon, Wiltshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.1 K7609, 1 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire. Built by Fairey Aircraft Ltd., Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Cheshire. Delivered to 52 Squadron 25 November 1937 and coded initially "52-H". Transferred to 15 ERFTS (Elementary Reserve & Flying Training School) at RAF Lossiemouth on 15 January 1939. Thence to 1 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) at RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire on 8 September 1939

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 9 April 1940. Flew into the ground while making a turn at low altitude at Collingbourne Kingston, 8 miles south of Marlborough, Wiltshire. Both crew members killed. One source (see link #4) names the crew as (quote):

"Leading Airman (C/JX 138744) Herbert E Cook, RN, of HMS Daedalus, and AC2 Alfred C Lucas, RAF, were killed on Tuesday 9 April 1940 in Battle K7609, which crashed at Collingbourne Kingston when low-flying. AC2 Lucas was buried at Netheravon All Saints Churchyard on 12 April. AC1 Ralph Godden attended as a member of the burial party.

Crew of Battle K7609:
Leading Airman (C/JX 138744) Herbert Edwin Cook, RN (pilot) - killed on active service 9/4/1940
AC2 (752319) Alfred Colin Lucas (Passenger, aged 20) - killed on active service 9/4/1940, burial details as per the above

Note that the accident took place on 9th April 1940, and NOT, as per some published sources, 9th January 1940. This is confirmed by the Official File at the National Archives at Kew: "Leading Airman H E Cook (Royal Navy), Aircraftman A C Lucas: killed; aircraft accident, Collingbourne Kingston, Battle K7609, 1 Service Flying Training School, 9 April 1940".

Note that official record has Battle K7609 on the strength of 1 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) and NOT 7 FTS, as per other published sources. The truth may not be known until on or after 1 January 2031, as it was decided in 2015 that the file remain sealed until that date, quote: "Closed Or Retained Document. Access conditions: Closed For 82 years. FOI decision date: 2015. Exemption 1: Personal information where the applicant is a 3rd party. Exemption 2: Information provided in confidence"

The reported crash site of Collingbourne Kingston is a village and civil parish about 8 miles (13 km) south of the market town of Marlborough in Wiltshire, England at approximate coordinates 51.301°N 1.658°W

1. The K File - The RAF of the 1930s (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1995 p.126)
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1976 page 62)
3. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p.126)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1992: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16471284
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?16518-9th-April-1940-Leading-Airman-H-E-Cook-Killed-Mystery
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2710085/ALFRED%20COLIN%20LUCAS/
7. https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1940-04APR.htm
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collingbourne_Kingston

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Nov-2020 06:08	Dr. John Smith	Added
01-Nov-2020 08:49	soucek56	Updated [Operator, Operator]