Date:	Friday 25 July 1958
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	Fairey Flying Club
Registration:	G-AMHI
MSN:	3700
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Leydene House, East Meon, near Petersfield, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Sandown Airport, Sandown, Isle of Wight (EGHN)
Destination airport:	White Waltham Airfield, Maidenhead, Berkshire (EGLM)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 3700 (Gipsy Major #80635) First UK civil registered as G-AFGZ [C of R 8482] 9.5.38 to The de Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd and operated by 13 E&RFTS White Waltham.Maidenhead, Berskhire. C of A 6270 issued 13.7.38. Unit renamed 13 EFTS upon outbreak of war 3.9.39

Registration G-AFGZ cancelled 30.10.40 by Secretary of State, Air Ministry. Impressed into Military Seervice as BB759 30.10.40; moved with 13 EFTS to RAF Westwood, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 12.40. To 21 EFTS RAF Booker, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 1.6.41. Major inspection 8,41; sent to Lundy & Atlantic Coast 1.9.41 for overhaul. To 29 EFTS Clyffe Pypard 1.10.41 after work completed. Collided on ground [presumably at Clyffe Pypard] with Tiger Moth T6746 7.7.42; to Taylorcraft, Rearsby, Leicestershire for repairs 11.7.42. Upon completion of repairs, to 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire 29.8.42. To 7 EFTS RAF Desford. Leicestershire 5.4.43 coded “FHV-A”. To 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire 24.9.46. To HMS Blakccap, RNAS Stretton, Warrington, Cheshire 11.12.46 for long-term storage in the AHU (Aircraft Holding Unit). Struck off charge when sold via MoS (Ministry of Supply) from RNAS Stretton 21.3.50.

When this Tiger Moth was sold into civvy street, the fact that it had previously been G-AFGZ seems to have been overlooked. Registered instead as G-AMHI [C of R R3140/1] 30.1.51 to Henry Anthony McCarthy, Manchester. C of A A3140 issued 7.8.51. Registration cacelled/lapsed 8.4.53 and re-registered (C of R R3140/2) 22.4.53 to Richard Gordon Slade & Harold Edward Sidney Colliver, t/a Fairey Flying Club, Ringway, Manchester (later White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire).

It was in that guise, whilst being operated by the Fairey Flying Club on a flight from the Isle of Wight back to White Waltham on 25.7.58, that it struck a signal mast at HMS Mercury, the Royal Navy Signals School at Leydene House, East Meon near Petersfield, and crashed into the WRNS (Womens Royal Naval Service) living quarters there. The Tiger Moth caught fire and whilst the pilot managed to escape the aeroplane, his passenger, Brian Shersby, was killed.

According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Daily Mirror - Saturday 26 July 1958)

"PLANE HITS A 'WRENNERY'
A PLANE crashed through the roof of a WRNS living block yesterday—seconds after the Wrens had left to go to the canteen.

The pilot, who was injured, scrambled free just before the wreckage burst into flames. His passenger, Brian Shersby, of Court-road, Ickenham, Middlesex, was killed. It happened at H.M.S. Mercury, the Royal Navy Signals School at East Meon, Petersfield. Hants.

The plane a Tiger Moth, owned by the Fairey Flying Club, was being piloted by David Wilson, also of Ickenham, from Sandown. I.O.W., to White Waltham, Berks. Wilson works for Fairey Aviation, the aircraft builders, who run the flying club."

Registration G-AMHI officially cancelled 16.9.58 as "destroyed"

Parts included in a package of spares bought by Malcolm Paul in 1981/82; rebuild commenced 1982/83, stored 1983/88 and wings destroyed by fire in hangar fire at Cranfield, Bedfordshire in 1988. Pre=war registration G-AFGZ restored 3.2.89 to Ian Bruce Grace, Southampton (aircraft at Chilbolton, for rebuild purposes). Re-registered 25.1.91 to Malcolm Richard Paul, Camberley; returned to storage at Heston. To Crofton Aeroplane Services, Stubbington 2.93 for rebuild, later to Lee-on-Solent. Re-registered 6.6.95 to Malcolm Richard Paul & Philip Anthony Shaw, Guildford (aircraft based at Lee-on-Solent).

Reflown after rebuild 2.1.97; C ofA renewed 24.1.97. Re-registered 3.12.2004 to Malcolm Richard Paul, Guildford (aircraft based at Lee-on-Solent). C of A replaced by Permit to Fly 3.8.2012. Currently registered.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft BA100-BZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. Daily Mirror - Saturday 26 July 1958
3. Hampshire Telegraph 26 July 1958
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AFGZ.pdf
5. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AMHI.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p037.html
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=15899.0
8. https://www.commsmuseum.co.uk/dykes/aircrash/aircrash.htm
9. G-AMHI at Ringway (Manchester) (MAN/EGCC) 22/9/51: https://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled/De-Havilland-DH-82A-Tiger-Moth/1902274/L
10. G-AMHI at Southampton (Eastleigh) (SOU/EGHI) in 1957: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1439446
11. G-AMHI at White Waltham (EGLM) in 1952: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1039320
12. http://ata.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/aeroplanes/15-aeroplanes/80-register-gb-g-af
13. G-AMHI back as G-AFGZ, The de Havilland Moth Club, 27th International Moth Rally, Belvoir Castle, August 20-21, 2011: https://www.targeta.co.uk/pages/112_2851w7.htm
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Mercury_(shore_establishment)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Sep-2014 19:53	TB	Added
12-Dec-2015 19:17	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Nature, Source]
16-Dec-2015 11:04	TB	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative]
10-Mar-2020 21:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Mar-2020 21:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]
10-Mar-2020 22:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
21-Jul-2020 21:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Nov-2021 15:58	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category]
28-Nov-2021 22:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
28-Nov-2021 22:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]