Date:	Sunday 7 August 1938
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	88 Sqn RAF
Registration:	K7630
MSN:	F.2388
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Norton Heath, Blackmore, High Ongar, Essex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Boscombe Down, Wiltshire
Destination airport:	RAF North Weald, Essex
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I K7630: Built by Fairey Aircraft at Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Cheshire, and delivered new to 88 Squadron, RAF Boscombe Down, Wiltshire on 17/12/37.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 7/8/38 when hit a tree and crashed at Norton Heath, Blackmore, High Ongar, Essex whilst on approach to RAF North Weald. One of the three crew was killed, having bailed out too low for his parachute to fully deploy:

Crew of Battle K7630:
Corporal William Henry Wheeler (Observer aged 24) - killed in active service 8 August 1938
Flight Lieutenant David William Hyde-Gardner (pilot) injured, sustained burn injuries: he stayed with the aircraft until it hit the ground to give the other two crew a chance to bail out
AC1 William Thomas Cable (Wireless Op/Air Gunner) - bailed out safely and landed unhurt

According to the official Air Ministry announcement in "Flight" magazine (August 25 1938, page 173 - see link #4):

"Cpl. William Henry Wheeler lost his life in an accident which occurred at Blackmore, near High Ongar, on August 7, to an aircraft of No. 88 (Bomber) Squadron., Boscombe Down, Amesbury, Wilts. Flt. Lt. David William Hyde Gardner was the pilot of the aircraft, and A/C William Cable the other member of the crew. Flt. Lt. Gardner was slightly injured."

Total time on airframe 150.20 hours. The report crash location of Norton Heath is a hamlet in the High Ongar civil parish, and the Epping Forest District of Essex, England. The settlement is at the northeast of the parish and on the north side of the Harlow to Chelmsford A414 road, at approximate coordinates 51.715°N 0.3174°E.

1. The K File - The RAF of the 1930s (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1995 p.126)
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1976 page 63)
3. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p.31/p.126)
4. 88 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1 July 1917 to 31 December 1943: File AIR 27/716 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2503354
5. http://nwamuseum.co.uk/IncidentsWestEssexto2000-1.pdf?ckattempt=1
6. http://www.brynelliott.co.uk/about_htm_files/WESTESSEXcrashesMishaps2Peacetime.pdf
7. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1938/1938%20-%202411.PDF
8. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939.htm
9. https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/280086/
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norton_Heath

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Mar-2018 01:18	Dr. John Smith	Added
15-Mar-2018 01:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
10-Nov-2018 18:40	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
02-Nov-2020 23:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source, Narrative]
02-Nov-2020 23:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
03-Nov-2020 00:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn]
01-May-2023 18:32	Nepa	Updated [[Cn]]