Air Crashes Within The UK

Hello Gentlemen,

Many thanks for your replies.

My research started with the Hurricane and Spitfire losses pre WW2 but then I read about the MacRobert loss and wrongly assumed that he too was an RAF loss but could find nothing. Hence my question .

Again many thanks
Alex

pre war losses.

Hi,
i suggest the air britains J and K files, there full of bulldogs, etc etc,
then theres the very famous aircraft near me,
G-AFGO the Lockheed electra that took chaimberlain to Munich in 1938,The same pilot infact a Commander Robinson,he is beried in our church yard,with a lockheed electra with “PEACE” written above it, it was a big concern when he dived ito the rock at the beach of redcliffe bay in 1938, the funeral had dignitaries from all over the world when it happened,
crashed Nov 22 ,1938, onto the rocks , another MAIN source of good first hand crash information is your local library, for the newspapers through the 30s,
get the dates and types etc from the air britains and then take those dates to the library for the news paper of the day or day after, it usually says something and a hell of a lot of first hand witnes reports,
I have a near complete cylinder from a bristol Bulldog that crashed near bath ,the farmer ploughed it up, and geuss what, after a shotblast, the bloody plg still works, Ahh , theres british enginnering for you
Hope this helps,
Kind regards
Chris Collins:D

Sir Alasdair Workman MacRobert was killed on June 1st 1938 at Luton airport
he was one of 3 killed (all members of Redhill Flying Club) on there way from Redhill Aerodrome to Luton Aerodrome the others being

the other two killed were:

Ronald E.L. Beere
E.S. Baker

MacRobert was believed to be the pilot and the plane came down in a wheat field

The aeroplane was Percival Vega Gull G-AFBR, crashed 1/6/1938. There are Photos of this crash in Luton museum negative collection. I had to identify them and some other picture’s as they had lost the information on them. They also had photo’s of DH Tiger Moth G-ADGO crashed at Dunstable gliding club 24/5/1936 ( my father saw this crash). DH34 G-EBBS crashed at Ivinghoe/ Pitstone 14/9/1923.

Dave

How’s your research going Alex?

Is it your intention to document details of ALL aircraft crashes in the UK during a specific timeframe (you mentioned 1936 to 1939) or is your research confined to specific incidents?

Roger Smith

Air Crashes within the UK

Hello Paul,
Air Crashes within the UK
It has been a while since i placed the question on this site.

As you give details of place and names of those killed, can you please supply the type of aircraft involved and registration ?

Thank you

Alex

Sir Alasdair Workman MacRobert was killed on June 1st 1938 at Luton airport
he was one of 3 killed (all members of Redhill Flying Club) on there way from Redhill Aerodrome to Luton Aerodrome the others being

the other two killed were:

Ronald E.L. Beere
E.S. Baker

MacRobert was believed to be the pilot and the plane came down in a wheat field

Thanks for asking, have you the answer?

No, not at all.

But I live close to the aerodromes at Methwold and Feltwell and the local cemetery has a war graves section with a few dozen WW2 casualties (And one civilian woman) in it.

However the main graveyard has headstones for several other crews obviously killed in accidents before the war, in fact just the period you are talking about.

I always see the CWGC area neat, tidy and tended. Whilst the poor guys who bought it beforehand aren’t looked after.

It just seems to strike a chord somehow.

Moggy

Hello Moggy

Hello Moggy,

Why do you ask ?

I just thought that there is quite a lot for research there.

For example, the History book Spitfire and the “K” file book .

Most of the reports given on aircraft in the 1936 to 1939 time frame just give details of any crash and add “Pilot killed” or Crew if more than one aboard.

The CWGC as far as I have seen on the web only have those from WW1 and WW2 or War losses. These were peacetime losses and seem to be left as unknown.

In particular I was looking at the MacRobert Bros. Their details as on the Web are that Sir Iain was lost with 608 Sqn in a Mosquito, this was in deed a Blenheim IV. While Sir Roderick was lost over IRAQ. One of the Hurricane ‘s presented was to end its days with the Turkish AF as no: 4217 (HL844). Both Short Stirling’s were to be lost, one by Spitfire in collision, one crewman flew in both a/c and was the ONLY survivour of both crews.
But all that I could find on Sir Alasdair was – killed in an air crash in the UK 1938. What aircrash , what aircraft, Civil or RAF and where ?

I found a few on the web but none give crew or passenger names.One of these a Spartan was in Scotland, while another was a lockheed Electra 14.

I think that this 1936 to 1939 time has been overlooked, the RAF/RN a/c markings have been touched upon now and then but in the main this period has been left untold.
Thanks for asking, have you the answer?

Alex

I’d be interested to know what you need the information for.

It sounds like an intriguing project on a neglected period of aviation history.

Moggy

This would be the link for the Hampshire crashes.

http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/hancrash.html

This is the link for the Dorset crashes.

http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/dorset/dorcrash.html

This is the link for the I.O.W. crashes.

http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/iowc.html

Alex
I know of a couple of sites that cover Hampshire and Dorset air crashes, probably similar sites exist for other counties. Just google under Hampshire air crashes. It does seem to be unavailable at the moment though.

Richard