ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 16274
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| Date: | Tuesday 3 September 1940 |
| Time: | 08:28 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 6 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | L1833 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Bank Farm, Saddlebow near King´s Lynn, Norfolk, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire |
Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 L1833 of 6 OTU, RAF: Written off (destroyed) September 3 1940 in a mid-air collision with Hurricane L1564 (also of 6 OTU, RAF) near Bank Farm, Saddlebow near King´s Lynn, Norfolk. According to one published source:
"This accident, which occurred at 08:28 in the bright sunlight of September 3, 1940, seems to have been due simply to an error of judgement by one or both pilots during an authorised combat flying exercise. Perhaps in that sunlight – mentioned by an eyewitness – they momentarily lost sight of each other with fatal consequences. In the opinion of that same eyewitness: …both aircraft seemed to be stunting… in an effort to gain an advantage one over the other… and collided at about 700 feet altitude.
At this stage of the air war – it was the height of the Battle of Britain – there were not enough instructors to accompany pupils on a regular or individual basis, therefore trainees were sent off in pairs to practise combat tactics amongst themselves. Training course lengths were being cut to the bone and once a pupil could be trusted with a Hurricane he was shown the ropes, then left to get as much air experience as the time permitted.
Frederick Howarth, in L1654, fell about half a mile from Czech Sgt Karel Stibor in L1833, near the village of Wiggenhall St Germans. At the time, a minimum of site clearance was carried out – just enough to recover the bodies of the unfortunate airmen and clear farmers’ property of ordnance and surface debris.
It was not until the early 1975 that the site of L1833 was excavated by the landowner to remove the engine and other major components. The site of L1654 was left undisturbed until 1985 when the Fenland Aircraft Preservation Society (now the Fenland and West Norfolk Aviation Museum with a superb collection on view at West Walton Highway, near Wisbech) undertook an extensive and successful excavation in the course of which the Merlin III was recovered.
Crew:
Sgt (787985) Karel Sibor (cs.pilot) RAFVR - killed
Sources:
1. 'The Saddlebow Hurricanes' by Andrew B N Ketley - Fenland Aircradt Preservation Society 1990
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1979)
3. https://fcafa.com/2013/01/01/56-otu-at-sutton-bridge/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2359156/stibor,-karel/
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/04133.php
.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Mar-2008 07:47 | Nepa | Added |
| 08-Sep-2010 06:23 | Anon. | Updated [Date, Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Jan-2012 13:56 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Dec-2013 16:51 | Anon. | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 03-Dec-2013 16:51 | Anon. | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 26-May-2019 21:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 26-May-2019 21:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Departure airport] |
| 26-May-2019 21:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Other fatalities] |
| 26-May-2019 21:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 30-May-2019 16:20 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 10-Jul-2019 23:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Jul-2023 09:45 | Nepa | Updated [[Source, Narrative]] |
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