Dunmow Stirling Crash

Adrian

According to ‘Stirlings in Action with the Airborne Forces’ by Dennis Williams (Pen & Sword), LK116 was one of the last two allied aircraft to be shot down by intruders over the UK; the other was a Halifax of 1665 HCU at Tilstock, which was shot down on the same night.

mozzieman

Hi

I think Paddy may actually recall the crash of Stirling LK116 from RAF Great Dunmow, which was attacked by a Luftwaffe intruder during a supply dropping exercise to the former airfield at Great Sampford on 20th March 1945.

Mozzieman

Mozzieman, that must have been one of the last losses to an enemy intruder over England, mustn’t it? Or am I getting confused with the last Luftwaffe loss over England, which was the same sort of time?

Adrian
(you mentioned Great Sampford… I came out of my hole!)

Just to confirm that Paddy has read this thread and is grateful to all who have contributed. He will, with a bit of luck, and some tutoring from a friend, be participating after Easter.

Thank you from him.

Moggy

[ATTACH]194596[/ATTACH] Stainless Bracket which attaches towing assembly to underside of fuselage from LK276.

I’ve e-mailed Paddy and hope to get him up and running properly here.

Moggy

Hi

I think Paddy may actually recall the crash of Stirling LK116 from RAF Great Dunmow, which was attacked by a Luftwaffe intruder during a supply dropping exercise to the former airfield at Great Sampford on 20th March 1945.

Unfortunately the resulting fire caused LK116 to crash beside the Chelmer near Ford Farm in Dunmow. The flight engineer, Flight Sergeant Cramp, parachuted to safety and landed at Barnston, but sadly the rest of the crew, including an SAS liaison officer, were killed in the crash.

According to the information I have, they were:

Squadron Leader George Whitty DFC RAFVR (pilot and OC A Flight, 620 Squadron)
Warrant Officer John Williams RAFVR (navigator)
Pilot Officer George Ames RAFVR (wireless operator)
Warrant Officer Andrew Bell RCAF (air gunner)
Flight Sergeant George Douglas RAFVR (bomb aimer)
Captain George Slater, Parachute Regiment, Army Air Corps att. SAS (SAS Liaison Officer at RAF Great Dunmow)

Regards

Mozzieman

Covered extensively in this very interesting thread

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=91739&highlight=great+dunmow

I would definitely be interested in hearing about this – I visit Dunmow regularly.

Edit – great info. Thanks.

Just to add that Cummings, in Though Without Anger, records the crew as follows:

F/O James Ian Kidgell, RAAF, 23, Pilot.
F/O William Walter D’Arcy Brain, RNZAF, 26, check Pilot.
F/O Ernest Douglas Woods, 26, Navigator.
F/S Ronald David Payne, 21, Bomb Aimer.
F/S Reginald Matthew Dauncey, 23, Wireless Operator.
Sgt. Hugh Holt, 20, Flight Engineer.
F/S Arthur George Reid, 33, Air Gunner.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

kev35

Possibly this event?

From my ‘For Your Tomorrow – A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Fates: Vole Two 1943-1998)’:

Tue 21/Wed 22 Nov 1944
FIGHTER COMMAND
Glider towing and checking out new pilot and crew
190 Squadron, RAF (Great Dunmow, Essex – 38 Group)
Stirling IV LK276/Y – took off towing Horsa I PF753, which was released at 2108 and made a safe landing. A few minutes later the Stirling dropped its tow rope and at 2113 requested permission to land. For reasons unknown this was not granted, the pilots being instructed to standby. No further communication took place between then and 2120, when LK276 crashed alongside the old Roman road leading to the village of Great Dunmow. On coming down it hit willow trees, passed under power lines, slid along the ground some 125 yards and struck a bank close to the village, where it exploded on impact. Six of the crew perished in the crash, while the rear gunner died of injuries before he could be admitted to hospital. Both pilots and the rear gunner are buried at Brookwood, Woking, Surrey. The subsequent Court of Inquiry strangely concluded that the crash had not been caused by ‘damage to the aircraft in the air’, and took the view that the captain had probably been watching the airfield lights instead of his instruments. However, research into the event some 50 years later by Mrs M Kidgell, brother-in-law of Fg Off J I Kidgell, RAAF, the pilot being checked, revealed that contrary to the Court’s findings it was common knowledge amongst many on the base that LK276 had been shot down by an enemy intruder. After release of the Horsa an aircraft had been seen following the Stirling across the field, with cannon fire being distinctly heard by a number of people immediately prior to the crash. At the time the Squadron was still recovering from severe losses incurred during the disastrous Arnhem campaign of September. It is possible, therefore, that a shortage of competent personnel affected the quality of the inquiry.
Check Pilot: NZ42365 Fg Off William Walter D’Arcy BRAIN, RNZAF – Age 26. 553hrs (about 230 on Stirling) 18 ops.

Errol