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Date: | Monday 24 March 1941 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I |
Owner/operator: | 141 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | N1795 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Watling Street near RAF Gravesend, Kent, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Test |
Departure airport: | RAF Gravesend, Kent |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Defiant N1795/'TW-W' 141 Squadron, RAF: Took off from RAF Gravesend for an air test, after it had received a 30 hour service, 24 March 1941. The engine failed just after they lifted off. The Defiant rapidly lost height, skidded across a field, and crashed into an embankment on Watling Street, not far off the end of the runway.
The wings were torn off, as was the propeller assembly, and the fuselage ended up on its port side, with the tail section twisted upside down. Luckily it did not catch fire and crew they managed to escape with minor injuries
Crew:
Pilot Officer (41230) Denis Conon WILLIAMS (pilot) RAF - injured
Pilot Officer (79216) Geoffrey Frank Colman PLEDGER (Air Gunner) RAFVR - injured
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p, 9)
2.
https://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/WilliamsDC.htm 2. ORB 141 Squadron RAF for October 1939 to December 1941: National Archives (PRO Kew) File Air 27/969:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2503608 3. CWGC:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2449741/dennis-conon-williams/ 4.
https://www.key.aero/comment/2003175#comment-2003175 5.
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=N1795 6.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravesend_Airport#Royal_Air_Force 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._141_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |