Date:	Tuesday 19 May 1953
Time:	12:02 LT
Type:	Supermarine Attacker FB.2
Owner/operator:	803 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	WK339
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sidlesham, near Chichester, West Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RNAS Ford, (HMS Peregrine) Yapton, West Sussex
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Two Supermarine Attacker FB.2s of 803 Squadron, FAA, RN - WK334 and WK339 - were written off (destroyed) on 19 May 1953 in a mid-air collision over Sidlesham, near Chichester, West Sussex. Both pilots were killed. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("Portsmouth Evening News" - Tuesday 19 May 1953):

"JETS CRASH AT SIDLESHAM.
The mid-air collision of two Jet aircraft over the glasshouses and small holdings at Sidlesham at mid-day to-day was followed half-an-hour later by the discovery of the body of one pilot in a cornfield. A helicopter joined in the search for the second pilot, while police, firemen, St. John Ambulance Brigade personnel, as well as the small-holders scoured the fields, spinneys, and small-holdings.

An eye witness. Mr. G. Holley, of Shotford Cottages, said; "There were four aircraft. After the explosion it looked like a rocket going straight upwards. Then flaming pieces of wreckage began to rain down all the way round. There’s a large piece of the tail of one in my garden, and how the glasshouses were not hit I cannot tell."

Wreckage was scattered over three miles. One large piece of aircraft lay burning in a hedge bottom 200 yards from where the first pilot was found. Another 100 yards away the roof of 29, Keynor Estate, was wrecked. The ejector seat which had crashed into it lay on the lawn. The occupier, Mr. T. Armstrong. said; "I was in the glasshouse, and my wife was in the house, when we heard the explosion. We ran out to see what was happening, and then I yelled to her to get back and I saw the thing hurtling down. I went into the house as well."

The aircraft were R.N. Attackers, single-seater machines, said to come from Ford R.N A. S."

A further contemporary newspaper report gives further details, taken from the inquest into the death of the two pilots ("Portsmouth Evening News" - Friday 29 May 1953):

"CORONER HEARS STORY OF FATAL AIR MISHAP
Pilot, In Flight, Saw Jets Collide Whilst Exercising

The mid-air collision between two Royal Naval Attacker aircraft over Sidlesham last week was possibly the result of "one of those misjudgements to which we are all prone" suggested the Chichester Coroner (Mr G F L Bridgeman).

At the inquest yesterday on two pilots, Lieut Comdr John Michael Glaser (32) and Lieut Francis Dominic Bernard Bailey (25) both stationed at Ford where a verdict of "Death by Misadventure" was recorded.

Cmmdr M F Fell of RNAS Ford said a flight of three aircraft led by Lt-Cmdr Glaser was briefed to carry out air-to-ground flying practice on The Manhood Range. The other pilots were Lieutenants Bailey and McDermott. They took off at 11.45am on May 19th.

At 12.02 p.m. (sic) Lieut McDemott called the station by radio to say the other two aircraft had collided.

Lt-Cmdr Glaser had carried out 1018 hours of solo flying (84 of them in Attackers) and Lieut Bailey 1120 hours solo (244 in an Attacker).

"I knew these officers - they were reliable and experienced pilots" added Cmmdr Fell.

Liet McDermott said that they dived on the range in the order of Glaser, Bailey and then himself three or four times during the exercise. There were gaps of about 1,500 to 2,000 feet between aircraft in the manoeuvre.

Lt McDermott continued "I was orbiting when I saw Lt-Cmmdr Glaser turn in, Lieut Bailey being below and behind. Bailey began to turn in and go up. Then I saw Bailey collide with the centre of the underside of the fuselage of Glaser's aircraft which was coming down".
The Coroner : "How do you think this accident occurred ?"
Lt McDermott : "I can only say what I saw and that is one aircraft beginning to dive and the other starting a climb turn"
The Coroner : "What do you think was the cause of that ? That Bailey got a little too near Glaser's plane or that Glaser was late in turning in ?"
Lt McDermott : "Or a combination of the two, I would certainly say".

SCHOOLBOY'S STORY.
David Archibald Tupper (13) , schoolboy, of Summerley Lane, Earnley, said he was watching the three aircraft overhead coming round one after the other and diving. "One plane turned to dive down when the other hit it from underneath in the middle of the fuselage" said David.

IDENTIFICATION.
Surgeon Lieutenant Ronald Hy McClure (Ford) said he was able to identify the remains of one body by the clothing. The other he could not identify at all. PC Guy said that the body of one pilot was found in the cockpit. The name Bailey was on the glove still on the hand. The Admiralty was represented by Mr A Keith-Roach".

The two pilot fatalities (one in each aircraft) were Lieutenant Commander John Marshall Glaser RN DSC and Lieutenant Francis D Bailey. However, it is not yet clear which pilot was in which aircraft.

Sidlesham is a small village and civil parish, on the Manhood Peninsula, five kilometres (3 miles) south of Chichester in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England, at approximate coordinates 50.7857°N 0.79036°W.

1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant et al, Air Britain, 2004 p.568)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File ADM 1/24566: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4845679
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File ADM 1/25019: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4846132
4. Portsmouth Evening News - Tuesday 19 May 1953 and Friday 29 May 1953
5. West London Observer - Friday 29 May 1953
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WK
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=8585.0
8. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=9154.0
9. https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1953.htm
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidlesham

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jul-2020 21:19	Dr. John Smith	Added
19-Jul-2020 21:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
19-Jul-2020 21:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
19-Jul-2020 21:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration]
20-Jul-2020 10:13	Iwosh	Updated [Operator, Operator]