ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 17519
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| Date: | Saturday 14 October 1950 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito NF Mk 30 |
| Owner/operator: | 10 Sqn Belgisch Militair Vliegwezen |
| Registration: | MM757 |
| MSN: | MB-18 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Herne Bay, sea 5 miles north of Margate, Kent, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Beauvechain Airfield (B) (EBBE) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Mosquito MB-18/ND-I (ex.MM757) While doing an evening mission during exercise "Emperor" the aircraft collided with a RAF Wellington near Birchington (Kent) and crashed into the sea 5 miles north of Margate. The Wellington crashed in a swamp area between Birchington and Herne Bay. Both the Belgian crew of two and the RAF crew of five were killed in this accident. 14/10/1950.
Crew :
Kpt. Christian HENRARD (pilot) Belgische Luchtmacht - killed
Sgt Joseph TYTGAT (nav.) Belgische Luchtmacht - killed
According to a couple of contemporary newspaper reports:
"Thanet Advertiser - Tuesday 17 October 1950"
MID AIR COLLISION
Lifeboats Search For Survivors
Margate lifeboat was at sea for 18 hours during the week-end searching for two airmen who crashed into the sea in a Mosquito aircraft, four miles off the town late on Saturday night.
The aircraft, a Belgian Air Force Mosquito, had collided with a Wellington bomber in mid-air between Birchington and Herne Bay while taking part in the air exercise testing Britain's air defences.
The Wellington crashed on to marshland near Reculver Towers and was burned out before Herne Bay firemen could reach it. Bodies of the four members of the crew were recovered from the wreckage on Sunday morning.
Margate and Westgate firemen were called to assist, and searched the marshes at St. Nicholas, but were later instructed to return to their stations. Meanwhile Margate and Ramsgate lifeboats were called out to search for the crew of the Mosquito.
After an all-night search the Margate boat returned to station, but she later put to sea again following a report from an air-sea rescue Lancaster aircraft that wreckage had been sighted. Floating in the sea they found splintered wood and part the navigation charts. A tail wheel of an aircraft, found by a Navy vessel, was brought ashore by the lifeboat.
Altogether Ramsgate lifeboat spent about nine hours at sea in the charge of the coxswain, Mr. Douglas Kirkaldie. "We were given a position four miles north of Birchington," he said, "and at first searched area in the Queen's Channel. Then, allowing for the tide, which had been going away for about three hours following the crash, we explored the Girdler and Shivering Sands and all around the Shingles."
After that the lifeboat made for the vicinity of the Tongue and tied up against the lightship for three quarters-of-an-hour. The lifeboatmen spotted some flares and made another search of the Shingles and Edinburgh Channels without success.
"Throughout the night." said Mr. Kirkaldie, "we were constantly trying to contact other searchers, but received a reply to our signals on only one occasion. During the whole of the search we saw only the trawler Dawn and two or three cargo vessels."
According to another contemporary newspaper report: ("Aberdeen Journal" - Monday 16 October 1950):
"14 DIE IN AIR EXERCISE.
EIGHT members of the crews of two R.A.F. Wellingtons were killed yesterday after a mid-air collision — bringing to fourteen the death toll in the last twenty-four hours of "Exercise Emperor," the eight-day test of Britain's air defences. Three aircraft crashed on Saturday night — a Wellington bomber, a Belgian Mosquito and an R.A.F. Meteor jet-fighter. Six airmen were killed and two Belgians in the Mosquito are missing. The Belgian Mosquito fell into the sea and after the discovery of wreckage two miles off the Kent coast last night the search for survivors was abandoned. The pilot who was killed when his Meteor was in collision with another Meteor and crashed was Sgt.-Pilot E. Chipperfield, No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron. The other Meteor landed safely. The Wellington crashed and burst into flames near Reculver, Kent, shortly after taking off."
Sources:
1. Thanet Advertiser - Tuesday 17 October 1950
2. Aberdeen Journal - Monday 16 October 1950
3. http://belmilac.wetpaint.com/page/De+Havilland+DH.98+Mosquito+NF.30
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txtt
5. http://www.belgian-wings.be/webpages/
6. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=5267.0
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Apr-2008 10:38 | Nepa | Added |
| 19-Dec-2009 06:37 | NePa | Updated |
| 12-Oct-2011 12:02 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Oct-2011 12:44 | Nepa | Updated [Date, Cn, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 09-Sep-2012 01:27 | Nepa | Updated [Date] |
| 09-Sep-2012 01:29 | Nepa | Updated [Location] |
| 29-Aug-2014 14:12 | MUDr. Roup | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Narrative] |
| 25-Jul-2015 05:17 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Location] |
| 17-Jan-2016 12:54 | Dandy | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Jan-2016 18:23 | Django | Updated [Operator] |
| 19-Feb-2019 19:04 | Nepa | Updated [Departure airport, Narrative, Operator] |
| 02-May-2019 19:54 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Operator] |
| 04-Feb-2020 00:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Feb-2020 00:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 20-Feb-2020 17:14 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Narrative, Operator] |
| 28-Feb-2020 21:30 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 19-Jul-2020 23:16 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Jan-2021 22:05 | Juza7 | Updated [Departure airport, Narrative, Operator] |
| 27-Sep-2021 20:02 | Nepa | Updated [Narrative, Operator] |
| 27-Sep-2021 20:03 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Operator] |
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