Even more 29 OTU Wellington Crashes!

Hi Kev35

Sgt Adams did die as result of injuries I think about a fortnight later, on the copy of the report I have it says Sgt BC Adams. Dad used to have nightmares and call out to Ronnie Adams. Was Sgt Stagg the pilot? Dad was unconscious when he was pulled from the plane and was told later what had happened.

I don’t know if Dad was a traniee or intructor, all I know is he was the wireless operator and facial injuries were as a result of going into the wireless.

Thanks again and cheers

Marie

PS I’ll be away fro a week with no access to internet so f you have any thing else or want something from me I won’t get back to you until after the 11th

Marie.

The reason I highlighted the nine is because of Chorley. In his works, if a crewmember is uninjured in an accident they are very rarely recorded by name. The nine Chorley alludes to are the screened pilot, two screened gunnery instructors and six trainee air gunners making a total of nine.

In Chorley’s listing for this incident Sergeants Stagg, Adams and Flight Sergeant McDermott are listed as injured.We know Sgt. Stagg subsequently died but we are not sure of Sgt Adams and it is difficult to establish any further without initials. Chorley is generally pretty accurate but there are a few errors in his mammoth works which he freely acknowledges and corrects when they come to light.

Was Flight Sergeant McDermott one of the trainees or one of the screened instructors?

Finally, is there someone on here from the Kent area who might be able to visit Sittingbourne and Milton Cemetery and take a photograph of Sgt. Stagg’s grave for Marie? It would be a fitting conclusion to a nice thread.

Regards,

kev35

Thanks to all who have responed, it’s nice to find out where Dad was. Kev35 you said there was a reference to 9 crew members but Dad always said he was the only survivor, perhaps the 9th crew member didn’t make it that day. The reports I have only make reference to the 8 crew.

Hopefully we can get to England one day and visit the sight and the graves of Dad’s fellow crew members, particually Sgt Stagg as if it hadn’t been for him I wouldn’d be here.

Marie

Marie.

Rob Langham is correct about Bruntingthoorpe. I can give you more details from the OTU volume of Chorley’s Bomber Command Losses.

29 OTU. Wellington Mk10 LN159.

Took off Bruntingthorpe for air gunnery, the crew comprising of a screened pilot, two screened gunnery instructors and six trainee air gunners. Collided with a tree and crashed some 4 miles SW of the airfield. F/O Watts RAAF lies in oxford (Botley) Cemetery. F/S Dever, one of the two gunnery instructors, is buried in Preston (St. Mary) Churchyard, also in Lancashire, at Hindley Cemetery, lies Sgt. Langford, While Sgy. Musgrave was taked to Scarborough (Woodlands) Cemetery. Sgt. Grevett is the sole Second World War burial at Lower Gravenhurst (St. Mary) Churchyard, while Sgt. Stagg, who died the next day from his injuries rests in Sittingbourne Cemetery. It was the unit’s last major accident before disbanding on 27 May 1945.

Crew were:

F/O R G Watts RAAF (killed)
F/S W K Dever (killed)
Sgt. N Langford (killed)
Sgt. M Musgrave (killed)
Sgt. C E Grevett (killed)
Sgt. S H C Stagg. (injured)
Sgt. Adams (injured)
F/S McDermott (injured)

As can be seen, Sgt. Stagg must have been the man responsible for rescuing F/S McDermott. Interestingly, Chorley refers to a crew of nine, of whom only eight are mentioned, leading to the conclusion that the ninth, unmentioned crew member must have escaped without any injury at all.

If you are having any problems deciphering the Service Record I am sure there are numerous people here who would be only too happy to try and assist you.

Regards,

kev35

Marie, as it’s 29 OTU and as Ritch is posting, I presume he was based at Bruntingthorpe (i’m sure Ritch will confirm this), there’s still a lot of evidence of 29 OTU in WW2 on the site, our Beech Restorations hangar is built on a Wellington hard standing

I’m sure someone on the forum can help you Marie – I also suggest you post over at the RAF Commands forum – just do a google search and you should find it.

Regards

Wellington LN 159 crashed 2 April 1945

My father Thomas Leo McDermott was on the Wellington LN 159 that crashed on 2 April 1945, he was the only survivor. Dad always told us that one of the crew had got out unharmed but went back in to save him and died a couple of days later from injuries he received saving him. Dad passed away in March 1996. We never asked Dad where in England he was actually based and would now like to know. I have obtained Dad’s war records from the Australian Archives, it gives details of posted from to but it doesn’t mean anything, most of the what I have got refer to the crash and details of his injuries. If you can help me out on where he was based I would appreciate it.

regards

Marie Marron

Taken from Bomber command losses OTU’s by Bill Chorley.

BK552 crashed maesbury rd near Oswestry,
F/O D De V Clarke +
P/O H J Homes +
Sgt D E Manning +
Sgt C Taylor +
F/S T D Potter RAAF +
Sgt N E Walker +
Sgt J S A Nicholson +

LP342 crashed Branton
F/S A J Cantwell RAAF +
Sgt J E Conchie +
Sgt C R Collop +
Sgt M Woodhead +
F/S J N Smith RAAF +
Sgt N Graham +

LP332 crashed near Castlt Donington
F/S T C Moore RAAF inj
F/S R J Manly RAAF +
Sgt M J Pill +
Sgt C A Jackson +
Sgt T P Eastwood +
Sgt K R Green

BJ909 crashed Kimcote
F/S D I Savage RAAF +
F/S K S S Allen RAAF +
F/S L W Cann RAAF +
F/S M W Milne RAAF +
F/S C J Nolan RAAF +
Sgt R J Leeson RAAF inj

NC706 crashed at Walton
F/S A T O’Reilly RAAF +
F/S B A Atkinson RAAF +
F/S B T Devall RAAF +
F/S R P Quinn RAAF +
F/S R J White RAAF +

Dave