Does anyone have any info/pics concerning the fatal crash of Wellington LN536. 12 0CU. on 16/10/1944? I have read the entry in the appropriate Ralph Chorley volume and did find a little info on-line which, for some reason i cannot navigate back to….The reason i am interested is, i appear to have purchased a flying helmet named to one of the trainee sgnts……I hasten to add, THERE IS NOTHING ‘GRUESOME’, for want of a better word about this helmet,it was because i was so suprised when i found the name-service number, written/’painted’ inside the helmet in Chorley volumes i purchased it from a dealer….fairly unusual to be able to trace a named helmet.. i read somewhere on-line that local villagers had gone out to, ‘look for parachutes’, i presume that meant look for survivors……IF this helmet was ‘there’, i can only imagine it was picked up by someone,poss a youngster, and kept..It is absolutly correct for the period,has definitly been used, still retains loom/recievers of correct type….it definitly isnt one of those helmets with faked names sometimes seen on auction sights….the way the writing has aged with the helmet/wear etc is totally right in my opinion. I must admit to feeling slightly, ‘guilty?’ about having this helmet’ but i collect raf/ww11 etc and have TOTAL RESPECT for these airmen… i wont name him in post.
By: Scramble Bill - 21st November 2012 at 14:24
Wellington incident
Thanks very much for reply, that sounds like the info on the site i couldnt navigate back to…had a slight problem with computer…..something i managed to cause myself!….If anyone has any pics of this particular Wellington ?…..i did wonder whether there might be a memorial to the crew in the area ?
By: paulh - 20th November 2012 at 22:40
Crash of an 18 Operational Training Unit Wellington in October 1944
At 2245hrs (10.45pm) on Monday 16th October 1944 Vickers Wellington
LN536 (Mk X) of 12 OTU crashed near Warrington, Bucks, killing the crew of
six. It had been in the air for 3hrs 30 minutes and would have been heading
back to its base at Chipping Warden, Northamptonshire when it is thought
fire took hold. Despite wartime censorship a reference was made to the
incident in 20th October issue of the Beds Times and Standard: “Aeroplane
Crashes in Flames / Villagers Search for the Crew / When an aeroplane
crashed in flames about half a mile from Lavendon on Monday night, scores
of villagers searched the neighbourhood in the hope of finding members of
the crew, who, it was thought, might have jumped to safety. The ‘plane had
exploded above the village a few minutes earlier.
The NFS arrived from Olney, but for some time could not get near the
wreckage because of exploding ammunition. Later parachutes were
discovered near the ‘plane and it was assumed that all the crew had lost
their lives.”
found by googling Wellington LN536
PaulH
Cewlisted as
Rank Name Killed/Injured
S/L A L Vipan Killed
F/L D J Falconer Killed
Sgt W H Chappell Killed
Sgt V S Wright Killed
Sgt P N Hewitt Killed
Sgt H D Hudson Killed
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November 20, 2012 at 2:35 pm