ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 209476
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| Date: | Tuesday 4 November 1930 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Vickers Virginia Mk X |
| Owner/operator: | 9 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | J7561 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Manston, near Ramsgate, Kent, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Manston, Kent |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Vickers Virginia Mk.X J7561, 9 Squadron, RAF Manston: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 4/11/30 when dived into the ground and burnt out, RAF Manston, Kent; two of the three crew were killed
Flying Officer Frederick Robert Walter Goad (pilot) RAF killed
Sgt George William Roberts (second pilot) RAF killed
AC.1 Alan William Edwards (Rear Gunner, Service Number 366280) injured
AC.1 Edwards was in the rear gunners position and survived. The Vickers Virginia had a very long tail section which narrowed substantially at the tail - the rear air-gunner's position was not at the tail (as opposed to that of Lancasters, Wellingtons, and Halifax, etc ) - but was immediately behind the wing section. This saved AC.1 Williams' life.
There is a book written by Gordon Thorburn called "A Century of Air Warfare With Nine (IX) Squadron, RAF: Still Going Strong" from which I will quote...
"The tail gunners position, considered to be the most vulnerable and dangerous in later years, proved to be the safest in some crashes. The ORB for 9 Squadron, 4th November 1930 states that Virginia Mark X Serial number J7561 crashed near Manston and was completely destroyed by fire. First and Second Pilots Flying Officer Goad and Sergeant Roberts were killed and AC.1 Edwards, whom was in the tail cockpit, was slightly injured. This aircraft had no slats"
According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Thanet Advertiser" - Friday 14 November 1930)
"TRIBUTES TO YOUNG OFFICER.
Impressive scenes were witnessed at Minster on Saturday, when the 21-year-old airman, Flying Officer Frederick Walter Robert Goad, of Erith, who met his death with Pilot-Sergt. George William Roberts, of Cheshire, in the tragic bomber crash at Manston, was buried with military honours.
Reposing on an aeroplane carried and surrounded by wreaths from his comrades, the coffin was drawn by a service lorry followed by a firing party and guard of honour of "A" Flight No. 9 Bombing Squadron, to which the young officer was attached, the Royal Air Force Band and mourners, who included his father and fiancee, relatives, personal friends, and Flight-Lieut. R. Savery, D.F.C., officer commanding "A" Flight, and Sqdn.-Ldr. Sadler, commanding No. 9 Bombing Squadron.
To the strains of the dead march the procession wended its way slowly to St. Mary's Parish Church, Minster, where the first part of the funeral service was feelingly conducted by the Royal Air Force chaplain at Manston and the Rev. W. M. Brown, Vicar of Erith, a family friend of the deceased, assisted by the Vicar of Minster (the Rev. W. G. Boyd) and Mr. F. R. Gower-Smith. The coffin was met at the church by officers of the squadron and was borne into the church by six flight-sergt.-majors of "A" Flight.
House and shop window blinds were drawn and people stood with bowed heads as the funeral procession passed solemnly through the village to the cemetery as the band played Chopin's Funeral March.
At the graveside the mourners were joined by Chief Officer F. C. West and Firemen W. Ansell and A. Attwell, of the Ramsgate Fire Brigade, who were not far from the scene when the disaster occurred and who made valiant efforts to fight the flames and see if there was anyone in the blazing bomber.
Following the interment service, conducted by the Rev. W. M. Brown, the Last Post was sounded by the trumpeters and three volleys were fired as the hymn "Abide with me" was played by the band, after which the uplifting notes of the Reveille rang clearly through the air. The service colleagues of the deceased afterwards filed past and laid the many beautiful floral tributes at the side of the grave."
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1934.htm
2. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?17427-RAF-Fatalities-1930
3. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=5828.0
4. 9 (IX) Squadron RAF ORB (Air Ministry Form 540) 1914-1939: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8407583
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Apr-2018 19:13 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 10-Nov-2018 07:11 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 17-Jul-2023 08:28 | Nepa | Updated [[Operator, Operator]] |
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