Date:	Tuesday 29 July 1952
Time:	day
Type:	North American T-6 Harvard IIB
Owner/operator:	CFS RAF
Registration:	KF948
MSN:	18-0049
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Skew Bridge, 1 mile south of Calmsden, Cirencester, Gloucestershire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
North American T-6 Harvard IIB KF948. CFS (Central Flying School), RAF: No former USAAF Serial. First reported in RAF service in July 1951 with 1 FTS, RAF Oakington Cambridgeshire. Moved with unit in October 1951 to RAF Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. To CFS (Central Flying School), RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire in January 1952 coded "FDO-B".

On 29 July 1952 Two training planes collided over Skew Bridge, North Cereny, one mile south of Calmsden, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire: Both aircraft were North American T-6 Harvard IIBs of the Central Flying School (CFS), based at RAF Little Rissington - KF948 and FS822. All four crew - two in each aircraft - were killed

Crew of Harvard KF948:
Flight Lieutenant (58304) Timothy Allman BRIDGE, DFC (pilot) RAF - killed on duty 29/7/1952, buried at South Cerney All Hallows Churchyard, Gloucestershire.
Flight Sergeant (1320867) Douglas Gordon HUGHES (navigator) RAF - killed on duty 29/7/1952, buried at South Cerney All Hallows Churchyard, Gloucestershire.

Flight Leiutenant Bridge had been awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) only a few months before his fatal accident. His citation for the DFC is was followed

"London Gazette dated 1 April 1952.
Air Ministry, 1st April, 1952.

The QUEEN has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of distinguished service in connection with Korean operations. Distinguished Flying Cross to Flight Lieutenant Timothy Allman BRIDGE (58304), Royal Air Force".

His brother, Flying Officer Michael James BRIDGE (2380453), of 600 Squadron Royal Air Force stationed at RAF Biggin Hill, and died Saturday 13 February 1954 aged 24. He was flying at Gloster Meteor 8 WF754 on a routine dog fight exercise between 25,000 and 30,00 feet with Pilot Officer John Robert D’Arcy who was flying the other jet. It appears that there was a sudden decompression of his cockpit. Witnesses reported that the plane was spinning and then dived to the ground at Lock, West Grinsted, Sussex.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.132 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 273
3. The Harvard File (John F Hamlin, Air Britain, 1988 p 135)
4. RAF Little Rissington: The Central Flying School 1946 - 76 By R. Deacon, A. Pollock, M. Thomas, R. Bagshaw
5. CFS RAF ORB (Operational Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/1/1951 to 31/12/1955: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/2310/2 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7163225
6. https://www.aviation-links.co.uk/Gloucestershire%20Aircraft%20Accidents.pdf
7. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/timothy-allman-bridge-dfc.122141/
8. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/douglas-gordon-hughes.122142/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Cerney

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Nov-2013 18:17	TB	Added
23-Jul-2017 21:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Jun-2018 10:30	A.J. Scholten	Updated [Cn]
19-Nov-2018 21:59	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
17-Mar-2021 13:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
17-Mar-2021 13:55	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Narrative]
17-Mar-2021 14:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn]
17-Mar-2021 16:43	Pink	Updated [Operator, Location, Nature, Narrative, Operator]
19-Mar-2021 22:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]