F/L. L. R. Hastings, D.F.C.(2008)

Following more information from Les Tolchards Wife
It is with great sadness that I have to report that it looks like L R Hastings DFC joined BOAC as a Navigator post war and lost his life in the accident involving BOAC Lancastrian G-AGMF …. this aircraft came down near St Aubin -du-Thenney,France on the 20th Aug 1946 on the final leg of a training flight Karachi – Hurn !

So whatever the cause of this Officers Court Martial/Cashiering – it was not deemed serious enough to prevent employment by BOAC ,although as often in life it is sometimes ones personal contacts that help with jobs etc !

Hastings death does seem to be confirmed in the book about Jack Mossop DFC DFM (W Op) ‘A Pathfinder’s Story’ – he also lost his life in this accident.

🙁

I had a lovely chat with Les Tolchard’s Wife some weeks ago – she sent me some sample pages from Les Tolchard’s Logbook and I must apologise to her for the delay in posting them on here.
As I suspected – He was an Instructor on ETPS at Cranfield and Boscombe Down and we thought there might be some interest in a ‘snapshot’ of the variety and number of types he flew at ETPS…

I have a thread on RAF Commands about Les Tolchard and have had some info from a kind lady.
One of the 3 possibilities I mentioned in post 24 was that Les was on the staff of ETPS and not a student and his position in the course photo (one away from the Boss) gave me some hope that this was the case.
The Lady on RAF Commands has confirmed that Les Tolchard was indeed a Qualified Flying Instructor on the staff of the school : )

She posted…

Les was at EPTS Cranfield from 6th Oct 1945 until June 14th 1946 and then returned to the Civil Service in London. In that time he is shown as the Pilot in various type of aircraft

Have found a Flying Instructors Certificate A.M.C.A 156/45 issued
Feb 1945 saying “This instructor is competent to fly for instructional purposes the undermentioned types of aircraft” etc etc. Hope this answers your query.

Even now ETPS has a QFI on the staff to maintain flying standards etc and he is not normally a test pilot graduate

Have not managed to find out any more info on L H Tolchard,although I did find his obituary in the Sunderland echo (2010)!
He is not on any other course photos at ETPS but I may be able to get some info at a later date.

DFC ‘Gazette’

Pilot Officer Leslie Hall TOLCHARD (145337), Royal
Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 49 Squadron:

Bar to DFC ‘Gazette’

Acting Flight Lieutenant Leslie Hall TOLCHARD,
D.F.C. (145337), Royal Air Force Volunteer
Reserve, No. 83 Squadron.

Bazv, no.4 Course only ran from Jan-May at Cranfield; some were `graduated`, the rest became 5 Course after much restructuring…
`L to T,T to L`…Rawlings/Sedgwick

Sycamore

He is on the No 4 course photo (1946) so that gives 3 possibilities – I will check with the school tomorrow !

Bazv, can`t find his name on ETPS as a graduate….

Yes and LRH was posted to the staff job very soon after the transfer date – if the dates are correct.
Looks like Tolchard did one of the immediate post war test pilot courses !

I see Tolchard transferred into 97 Squadron on 3 August 1943 but can find no record of him flying ops with 97 Squadron or being transferred out, can anyone clarify this for me please?

Reminded of this thread by a GD forum post…
According to the 49sqn website L R Hastings is 5th from left in ‘Best’ Blue in happier times !

L to R: Sgt G H Porter RCAF R/G; Sgt D Doe M/U; F/S GW Coburn RCAF B/A; P/O LH Tolchard Pilot; F/O LR Hastings Nav; Sgt W George W/Ag; Sgt AE Best F/E.
Lancaster ED448 M-Mother displaying 29 ops. The Tolchard crew flew most of their 24 ops with 49 Sqn in ED448, their final trip being Turin 12/13 July 1943 . The crew transferred to 97 Sqn after volunteering to go PFF.

Is it the 1947 Sqn Ldr B ‘Bob’ D Davies/Flt Sgt Heald collision that you refer to ?

Just found it in my notes. Yes, you are right. Obviously a different story. Please disregard all after good morning…..!

The term ‘cashiered’ is Service slang, usually referring to an officer either reduced in rank or thrown out of the Service (or both) as a result of a Court Martial. I have a feeling that this case refers to a story featured in FlyPast a few years ago about two Avro Yorks that had a mid-air collision in broad daylight somewhere in the Far East with the AOC watching from his HQ. The pilot of one (not ‘Hastings’) was a decorated Halifax bomber pilot who had brought back a badly damaged aircraft after it was hit by a falling bomb from above. The photos of this aircraft (taken at Manston I think) are quite well known. Despite his record, he was Court Martialled and thrown out and he was still very bitter about it all when I met him about 10 years ago. I just have a vague memory that ‘Hastings’ was the other pilot involved.

Is it the 1947 Sqn Ldr B ‘Bob’ D Davies/Flt Sgt Heald collision that you refer to ?

In 1946, Bob converted to the Avro `York’ and joined No. 242 Squadron at Oakington flying lengthy trooping flights to Singapore. It was on this route in 1947 that he collected his Court Martial. On one trip flying down the Gulf, he caught up with another of the Squadron aircraft, and indulged a little unauthorised formation flying – which might have passed unnoticed had they not been involved in a slight collision. Both aircraft landed safely but disciplinary procedures were inevitable. Bob returned home under close arrest, and was fortunate to receive only a reprimand and loss of his B/VIP flying category from the Court Martial. He was grounded for a period working in squadron ops and then only allowed to fly freighting sorties.
Flt Sgt Heald (other pilot)was dismissed from the RAF.

rgds baz

L R Hastings was a Navigator !

reference for later !

http://www.ireference.ca/search/Avro%20York/

The term ‘cashiered’ is Service slang, usually referring to an officer either reduced in rank or thrown out of the Service (or both) as a result of a Court Martial. I have a feeling that this case refers to a story featured in FlyPast a few years ago about two Avro Yorks that had a mid-air collision in broad daylight somewhere in the Far East with the AOC watching from his HQ. The pilot of one (not ‘Hastings’) was a decorated Halifax bomber pilot who had brought back a badly damaged aircraft after it was hit by a falling bomb from above. The photos of this aircraft (taken at Manston I think) are quite well known. Despite his record, he was Court Martialled and thrown out and he was still very bitter about it all when I met him about 10 years ago. I just have a vague memory that ‘Hastings’ was the other pilot involved.

To be honest, I am quite confused about the term “cashiered” – what does it exactly mean?

Thanks Bas for your efforts. I guess I will have to wait another eleven years!

David…Just to save any needless research by anybody…I copy/ pasted this from the WW2 forum,hope that is ok…

Sqn.-Ldr. L. R. Hastings, D.F.C
Leslie Reginald Hastings 124562

P/O – 1377848 LAC Leslie Reginald HASTINGS (124562) 20th June 1942
F/O 20th Dec. 1942
F/L 3rd April 1944

Distinguished Flying Cross. 7 September 1943
Flying Officer Leslie Reginald HASTINGS (124562) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 49 Squadron.

Mentioned in Despatches 1st January, 1945
Acting Squadron Leader L. R. HASTINGS, D.F.C. (124562), RA.F.V.R.

Mentioned in Despatches 8 June 1945
Acting Squadron Leader L. R. HASTINGS, D.F.C. (124562), R.A.F.V.R

Cashiered by sentence of General Court-Martial F/L. L. R. HASTINGS, D.F.C. (124562). 26th Feb. 1946

Just updating this old thread !
Sorry David…I never did get to Kew !!
But one of our forum members very kindly had a look there recently.
Apparently the Courts Martial records for 1946 are closed for 75 years (2021).
Any other forum members have any other/new info about this Officer ?
It is an intriguing case.

rgds baz

The London Gazette features the cashierment for that date, this might go into further detail on a later edition if you would like to do some trawling

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/searchresults.aspx?geotype=London&all=L+R+Hastings+DFC+124562&st=basic

Well done John… I could not find it in the Gazette.
Interesting that his case was not on the list in AIR18,it may be in AIR 21 of course.

The London Gazette features the cashierment for that date, this might go into further detail on a later edition if you would like to do some trawling

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/searchresults.aspx?geotype=London&all=L+R+Hastings+DFC+124562&st=basic