Corporal Pilot Basil F Evans.

Try putting a post up on the RAF Commands site.

http://www.rafcommands.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi

Cheers,
Neilly

It would seem that I’ve got confused with another incident which must have involved a Defiant. Anyway, the only fatal accident I have for 26 October 1939 was the crash of Oxford N4592 from No 13 Flying Training School at Drem. The aircraft dived into the ground and crashed at Lammerlaw and there were two fatalities.

That’s all the information I have, but I’m sure someone can check the relevant Air Britain publication (by serial or Oxford) and perhaps provide additional information.

Thanks guy I can now explain better the situation to my club mate.

I thought that it was something like that and we had discussed this amongst the club several times but never knew the conclusive answer.

Any info on Coporal Evans himself.

Thanks Ian for what you have offered so far

There was certainly a rule about all aircrew being Sergeants but I think the emphasis was the other way round.
I’m sure I read somewhere that any that weren’t Sergeants were promoted automatically when the rule came in.
I’m fairly confident rank didn’t matter when applying for aircrew training. Laddie Lucas joined as AC1. I’ve only just re-read his book and have forgotten the date but I’ve a feeling it was after the war started.

Originally posted by John Cooper
Maybe it was an unauthorised flight like the erk, that ‘stole’ a Varsity from a RAF station in the UK flew south and crashed in France, killing himself.

Just a thought

I’m pretty certain the details in my earlier post are the answer. I just need to check my notes this evening to be certain. I am, however, pretty certain that it wasn’t the type of scenario you suggest or I would recall the details clearly!

Maybe it was an unauthorised flight like the erk, that ‘stole’ a Varsity from a RAF station in the UK flew south and crashed in France, killing himself.

Just a thought

Owing to the shortage of candidates in the requisite age group the Army Air Corps has taken to having Coprporal Pilots so we’ve gone full circle

I’ll need to check my records when I get home this evening, but I think Corporal Evans was killed when his Defiant, flying from No 60 OTU at East Fortune, crashed in the area. As such, it would suggest that he was a Corporal simply because he was still under training.

As I’ve said, I can’t be certain of the details at the mo, but it seems to fit the known facts.

Minimum aircrew rank

I think Ant is right; Sergeant was made the minimum aircrew rank, but also that it was at least few months into the war before those orders were issued.

Corporal Evans may just have died before those orders became effective.

I seem to recall reading that one reason for making Sergeant the minimum aircrew rank, at that time of the war, was that senior NCOs and above, if made POWs, got some slightly better treatment and accommodation — so it was thought to offer some slight protection on those lines to aircrew, who might have to bale out over enemy territory.

Regards,

Snoopy

This is the first time I’ve heard of anyone lower than a Sgt being a pilot,although I know there were all sorts of ranks amongst aircrews in the first few months of the war.For instance,I’ve heard of blokes as low as LAC flying as a Wireless Op or Gunner in something like an Anson or Wellington.The situation was cleared up with official orders being issued which stated that nobody lower than Sgt could be considered for flying duties-some of these lower ranks had become rather good at thier trade in the intervening period and so were promoted to allow them to remain as aircrew.

taking a wild guess i would say gliders.