Another Tragic 1924 Duxford Accident, and also Biggin Hill

I suspect that DoRIS, at Hendon, would be the best place to inquire whether any of this footage has survived.

Thanks avion, I wonder if any of the Air Ministry footage has survived. Film stock back then had a tendency to break down or combust if not properly stored and handled.

According to the Daily Chronicle of 4 March 1924 F9181 ‘had completed its evolutions [sic], and was about to land, when the crash came’ and ‘was at a low altitude just beyond the aerodrome grounds when [it] dived onto some trees, smashing through to the ground with terrific force. It immediately caught fire.’ The report says that ‘the filming of mimic air-fights and new “stunts” evolved by crack R.A.F. pilots is a regular occurrence’ and that ‘the pictures being taken ….. were mainly for official use at the Air Ministry, although a selection was to be made for exhibition at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.’ 

Really fascinating stuff about these air displays. Thanks for all the research, guys.

That must have been so exciting and inspiring to the young lads in the crowd seeing their RAF heroes firing their weapons and dropping pyros.

If you can’t imagine it today,  you haven’t been to East Kirkby’s fireworks – they are apocalyptic! Plus gobsmacking good value,  for the price of just the whizzbangs anywhere else, if you are lucky, you get to see NX611 running at night, plus all the other attractions and aircraft. 

Sorry, digression over!

Shooting blanks into the crowd! Dropping pyrotechnics over London.

Imagine what the ‘elf ‘n safety or  the anti gun/military crowd today would say about that.

Also, isn’t there a ban of single engine aircraft over the city?  With special exceptions granted to the BoBMF.

It appears that something similar, entitled ‘The Defences of London’, was staged at the British Empire Exhibition in July 1924 (q.v.https://courtauld.ac.uk/research/research-resources/publications/courtauld-books-online/apocalypse/the-abbey-in-ruins-and-ablaze-staging-disaster-at-the-1924-1925-british-empire-exhibitions/) . Maybe the film that was being shot in March 1924 was intended to be shown at the Admiralty Theatre at Wembley. Presumably the War Office would not have used the footage showing F9181 crashing!

Have tried to find out what film(s) the Vimy might have been used for but no joy there. I wonder if it was possibly practising for the Wembley Torchlight Spectacle at the Empire Exhibition that year?  It did belong to the Night Flying Flight.

The show was renamed “London Defended” in 1925. Sounds “interesting” to say the least  and you can’t imagine it being allowed today! –

London defended

From May 9 to June 1, 1925 No. 32 Squadron RAF flew an air display six nights a week entitled “London Defended” Similar to the display they had done the previous year when the aircraft were painted black it consisted of a night time air display over the Wembley Exhibition flying RAF Sopwith Snipes which were painted red for the display and fitted with white lights on the wings tail and fuselage. The display involved firing blank ammunition into the stadium crowds and dropping pyrotechnics from the aeroplanes to simulate shrapnel from guns on the ground, Explosions on the ground also produced the effect of bombs being dropped into the stadium by the Aeroplanes.

The poster for the event –

As to the Vimy, Air-Britain says that it was involved in mock aerial combat prior to its crash (q.v. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_the_South_East.pdf, p.18)

Thanks Mothminor.

Avro 504K H3071 and Sopwith Snipe E6617 were the aircraft involved in the Duxford crash. The Snipe was from 111 Sqn and the 504K belonged to 2FTS. Flying Officer Jasper Godfrey Peck was killed in the Snipe and Sgt George Thomas Bond in the Avro.

Vickers Vimy F9181 of 56 Sqn was the aircraft involved at Biggin Hill. Flying Officer W. Smith and Sgt Pilot F. Lister were killed. “The Scotsman” article states “the cause of the accident is obscure” and that the aircraft was “engaged in certain flight practices which were being filmed from another aeroplane for official purposes*. The aeroplane had completed its manoeuvres and was in the course of landing when it crashed”

* much prefer “fancy feats” 🙂

I did put the year into the title…

Ohh, bit of a heart-stopping title there , just catching ‘Duxford’ and ‘tragic accident’………

On a happier note, with the final displays at Duxford and Old Warden this last weekend, the 2024 season ends,  and we have enjoyed a nine year run ( Since Shoreham 2015) with NO fatalities at UK displays, which is an excellent record, and a real turnaround from the earlier decades, when two or three deaths per season was the norm.

There were some close call over those years, such as the Stearman ditching at Poole and the Turbulent in the Sea at Eastbourne but luckily rescue was right at hand.

We have to remember Mark Long of the RAF Memorial Flight who was lost in a Spitfire at Conningsby this year, not at a display, but getting airborne for the purpose of attending a display elsewhere.