Date:	Wednesday 14 June 1950
Time:	02:40
Type:	Vickers Wellington T Mk X
Owner/operator:	201 AFS RAF
Registration:	PG417
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Norton Disney, 1/2 mile W of RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
The crew was engaged a 700-mile, five-hour cross-country night flight from RAF Swinderby. It was their last training mission before being despatched to a front-line unit. On final approach by night, the pilot in command encountered difficulties due to poor visibility caused by bad weather conditions. He then decided to make a go around and followed a downwind circuit for a second approach when the aircraft, which was too low, hit the ground and crashed at Norton Disney, North Kesteven, 1/2 mile West of RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire (at approximate co ordinates 53.1204°N 0.6795°W). Two crew members were killed while the third occupant was seriously injured. The RAF report gives the location as Potter's Hill. The aeroplane narrowly missed striking Hill Holt Farm, hit the ground, bounced across a road, slithered through a potato field, then struck a 15-ft dyke which caused the aircraft to spin around and disintegrate. The Accident Investigation Officer was Flt-Lt Kenneth Barnes who took testimony from P-O Merriman's supervisor trainer Flt-Lt Frederick White, who rated Jack as ''very stable and steady", testimony from attending crash and medical personnel, statements from the first two RAF officers, plus civilians, on the scene, etc. The report was signed-off by RAF Swinderby Station Commander, Group Captain AW Bax AFM OBE with a recommendation aircrew participating in long-distance night flights, as this exercise was (not as stated by some sources as a local exercise) should take adequate rest/sleep pre-mission. (In his testimony, the Navigator said P-O Merriman had shown increasing signs of tiredness in the latter stages of the flight with him having on one occasion to use the itercom to alert the pilot their height was dropping.)

Crew of Wellington PG417
Flying-Officer Harold Harvey, RAF (navigator, Service Number 500998) - survived with serious injuries, awarded the George Medal in recognition of his bravery in attempting to rescue his crew mates. From New Zealand (UK address in Barkingside, Essex). The crash happened on his 27th birthday.
Pilot-Officer Jack William Merriman RAF (pilot, aged 20) - killed on active service 14-6-1950. He was from Sandiacre, Derbyshire, and had been in the RAF since February 1948, having signed-up for five-years. He had 300-hours of flying experience, and had trained in Rhodesia. He had been stationed at Swinderby since January 1950. Pre-enlistment, he had worked as a lab technician at Boots, Nottingham. He died after suffering a fractured skull.
Signaller I Kenneth Royston Christian Kington (Radio Operator) - died of his injuries at RAF Hospital Nocton Hall on 16-6-1950. He was given a blood transfusion at the scene by Station Medical Officer, Sqn-Ldr C J W Souter, but succumbed on the evening of the 16th from multiple injuries. His home address was in Worcester. He was 19.

As noted above Flying-Officer Harold Harvey was awarded the George Medal for his gallantry. The citation reads as follows:

"The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the George Medal to:-
Flying-Officer Harold HARVEY (500998), Royal Air Force, No. 201 Advanced Flying School, Royal Air Force Station, Swinderby.

In the early hours of the 14th June, 1950, a Wellington aircraft crashed in a ploughed field near Norton Disney village and caught fire. Flying-Officer Harvey, a pupil aircrew, who was the Navigator, suffered multiple injuries, including a cut head, burns on the leg, and a crushed fracture of the spine. The signaller of the aircraft was rendered unconscious.

Flying-Officer Harvey, despite his injuries, rescued the signaller from the burning wreckage, put out the flames which enveloped him, and carried or dragged him to a place of safety about 40-yards from the crash.

Although suffering great pain, he then rendered first aid to the unconscious man until the arrival of station personnel. It is difficult to conceive how Flying-Officer Harvey, who is a comparatively small man, effected this rescue, as the signaller weighed 15 to 16 stones.

Flying-Officer Harvey displayed conspicuous gallantry and a complete disregard of his own safety and personal suffering. He showed great presence of mind in adversity and set an example of courage and self-sacrifice which is an inspiration to all ranks in the Royal Air Force".

Born in the UK, F-O Harvey's family emigrated to New Zealand and settled in Christchurch. He joined the RNZAF as aircrew and after training in New Zealand and Canada, served in the UK. He finished the war as a Pilot-Officer and remustered with the RAF. After the crash he spent nine-weeks encased in plaster and in 1952 returned to New Zealand.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.102 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.62
4. El Litoral 14 June 1950, p 1
5. David Willey aviation historian located and reseached crash 2013
6. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-619-wellington-x-raf-swinderby-2-killed-0
7. http://www.planetrace.co.uk/1950-1959_26.html
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_Disney
9. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1950s-incident-logs
10. George Medal Citation: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/39033/page/4919/data.pdf
11. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1950s-incident-logs
12. Contemporary coverage in the Lincolnshire Echo, Nottingham Evening Post, and other newspapers, accessed via British Newspaper Archives, and The Auckland Star (New Zealand) (June-July 1950 and October 1950)
13. Files held by Lincolnshire Records Office relating to sworn testimony given at the inquests into the two fatally injured airmen.

Sandiacre Cemetery Notts

Crash scene photo from 'Sheffield Daily Telegraph' June 15th 1950 British Newspaper Archives. Consent for use given by BNA.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Sep-2008 01:00	ASN archive	Added
02-Sep-2013 02:05	JINX	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative]
30-Sep-2014 16:52	TB	Updated [Time, Operator, Location]
17-Jan-2015 19:08	TB	Updated [Source]
23-Apr-2017 22:03	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
21-Oct-2017 14:19	Anon.	Updated [Narrative, Photo, ]
21-Oct-2017 14:19	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative]
23-Oct-2018 20:59	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
25-Dec-2020 23:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
19-May-2022 08:17	RAeS Member	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Photo]
20-May-2022 06:01	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative]