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Date: | Sunday 14 December 1941 |
Time: | morning |
Type: | Westland Whirlwind Mk I |
Owner/operator: | 263 (Fellowship of the Bellows) Sqn RAF |
Registration: | P7044 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | cricket pitch next to Speech House, Speech House Road, Coleford, Glouc -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
Nature: | Calibration/Inspection |
Departure airport: | RAF Charmy Down, Gloucestershire |
Destination airport: | RAF Charmy Down |
Narrative:Although the squadron was then based at Filton the aircraft was positioned to Charmy Down for the purpose of the task, which was the participation in a searchlight co-operation exercise. During the course of the flight the aircraft was seen to dive steeply from 4000' and crash in a field near Coleford that contained the cricket pitch for the Speech House.
It is unsure whether the pilot lost control, or the controls were iced up.
Sgt Derrick Ellis Prior (21) 1166018 RAFVR killed
A memorial plaque to the event was set into a garden wall near the pavilion in the Speech House grounds and dedicated on 4 October 1998.
Sources:
RAF 263 Squadron ORB (Form 540)
Forest of Dean newsletter of November 2015
Paul Doyle personal files
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
25-Apr-2018 15:08 |
paddy |
Added |
03-May-2018 20:00 |
paddy |
Updated [Source] |
21-Oct-2018 19:21 |
paddy |
Updated [Narrative] |
11-Nov-2018 12:52 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
27-Nov-2019 11:15 |
Nepa |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, Operator] |
30-Jan-2022 17:23 |
paddy |
Updated [Location, Narrative] |