Date:	Sunday 14 June 1942
Time:	day
Type:	De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	101 (G) OTU RAF
Registration:	R5029
MSN:	82924
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Innsworth, Gloucestershire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Staverton, Gloucestershire (GLO/EBGJ)
Destination airport:	RAF Innsworth, Gloucestershire

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 82924 (Gipsy Major #82898); Taken on charge as R5029 at 9 MU RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 20.3.40. To 14 EFTS RAF Elmdon, Birmingham, 24.10.40. Crashed 16.11.40; to Taylorcraft at Rearsby, Leicestershire for repairs 20.11.40. Upon completion of repairs, to 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucesterhsire 26.1.41. To "T" Flight, 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit, Weybourne, Norfolk 13.3.41.

Substantially damaged when crashed 6 miles North of RAF Watton, Norfolk 23.12.41; both crew - Flight Lieutenant F S Davies and Flight Lieutenant D C M Sagar - both survived but injured. To DeHavilland for repairs 30.12.41. Upon completion of repairs, to 101 (Glider) OTU RAF Kidlington, Oxfordshire 18.2.42.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when spun into the ground on approach to RAF Innsworth, Gloucestershire 14.6.42; both on board killed.

Crew of Tiger Moth R5029:
Second Lieutenant Alan Derrick Roscoe (Service Number 165795, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, attached to 1st Battalion Glider Regiment) - killed in active service 14.6.42
Section Officer Molly Rosamond Evelyn Grace (Service Number, 2839, WAAF) - killed in active service 14.6.42

According to one published source (see link #9) based on information extraced from the Aircraft Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): "She was being carried as an unauthorised passenger and the [AM1180] states":

"In flight at 300 feet, the engine was heard to cut. Aircraft spun, flattened out near ground, but struck ground and bust into flames. Pilot was carrying unauthorised passenger (WAAF Officer) at time. Pilot either (1) closed throttle, or, (2) engine failed. Pilot then executed a turn without putting the nose down and stalled." Aircraft crashed onto the sports ground at Innsworth having taken off from Staverton. Some published sources (see link #11) state that the Tiger Moth caught fire on impact with the ground.

The pilot, 2nd Lt Alan Derrick Roscoe had 83 hours solo flying experience and 12 hours solo on type when the accident happened. It was not required to be a qualified pilot to fly in and handle the controls in a two seat trainer, just needed to have one qualified pilot for the flight authorisation form. Similar to learning to drive with a full licence holder in the vehicle. The essence is that 2nd Lt Roscoe was authorised for a solo cross country flight. He had an un-authorised passenger who may have been handling the controls when the engine failed but this is not proven (to use a Scottish Verdict). The Court of Inquiry code given to the verdict was F1(b). The decode for this is:

F1(a) - Unauthorised low flying or aerobatics
F1(b) - Other types of non-compliance with orders for flight or Standing Orders

Wreckage recovered to 50 MU RAF Cowley, Oxfordshire 18.6.42 for damage assessement; not repaired (deemed "damaged beyond economic repair") and struck off charge 25.6.42 as FACE (Flying Accident Cat.E)

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980 p.28)
2. Crash 14.6.42: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR81/15044: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17386543
3. Crash 23.12.41: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR81/11137: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17058866
4. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2713443/alan-derrick-roscoe/
5. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1532354/molly-rosamond-evelyn-grace/
6. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p829.html
8. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=R5029
9. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/129790-another-missing-waaf-who-shouldn-t-be
10. https://www.aviation-links.co.uk/Gloucestershire%20Aircraft%20Accidents.pdf
11. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/molly-rosamond-evelyn-grace-nee-lecky.29703/
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Innsworth#Second_World_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Mar-2022 19:04	Dr. John Smith	Added
23-Mar-2022 19:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
23-Mar-2022 22:51	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]