Sergeant S. P. Pithara, Wellington Z1107.

May they all R I P and i hope they did’nt suffer .

Sgt. R McKie Stapley would have been my Uncle.  This is a summary of the research I carried out last year:

Monday 2nd August 1943 was a cloudy day with wind from the South West.  In the afternoon, a ‘Holidays at Home’ fete was taking place at the Berry Field in the village of Breedon-on-the-Hill, Leicestershire, a few miles from Castle Donington airfield. Children were taking part in various activities including cycle races.

At three minutes past four that afternoon, a Wellington Bomber Mk. 1c, Z1107 of the 28th Operational Training Unit took off on a routine test flight, scheduled to fly several circuits.  With the wind from the South West, it almost certainly took off from the North East to South West runway, heading towards Breedon.  On board were a crew of five: Pilot Sgt. John Hinds Borland, Age 23; Navigator Sgt. George Henry Clarkson, Age 30; Bomb Aimer Sgt. John Desmond Hayes, Age 20; Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Sgt. Stelios Petron Pithara, Age 25; and Rear Gunner Sgt. Robert McKie Stapley, Age 22.

Very shortly after takeoff, a fire started in the starboard engine, due to a cracked no.2 cylinder barrel.  The crew tried to fight the fire and return to Castle Donington.  Being just a twin-engined plane, this was an impossible task.  The plane was seen flying over Berry Avenue just to the east of the village with the engine on fire and returning towards Castle Donington. Very shortly after this it crashed in the Langley Priory estate, 1½ miles short of the runway.  Several people cycled from the fete, including some of the children, to see if there was anything they could do.  Nothing could be done and all five of the crew perished.  It has been suggested that the plane may have been carrying flares for photo reconnaissance.  If that was the case, they would have led to a much more intense fire. The accident report said that none of the crew were to blame for the accident.

The plane itself had been flown by various squadrons since October 1941 and had flown over 604 hours. This was a very high number of hours for a Wellington.  The last squadron to use it for training were 311 Squadron, Czechoslovakian Airforce from 28th January to 18th July 1943. This suggests that the crew may have had the plane for only two weeks. During July and August 1943, four Wellington Mk1s were lost due to engine failures resulting in 10 fatalities.

Hi Akis

Thanks for getting in touch with me. Could you e-mail me at [email]ritch.blood@virginmedia.com[/email] please and I will be very happy to talk to you about your great uncle.

Best wishes,
Ritch.

Dear Ritch,
he was my great-uncle! I was watching the Lancaster flights on tv last week and decide to google his name and came across your request for info (so had to reply!)
I have visited his grave in Burton-on-the-Wolds cemetery.
My grandmother (his young sister) lives in Cyprus and would have further information (and photos). Can I ask why you are interested in him please?
Many thanks
Akis

From Files of Late Henk Wetling

Z 1107 Wellington Ic 28 OTU 2-8-1943
Castle Donington/Leicestershire – 18.03u Training
Fire engine at the start – crashed at Breedon-on-the-Hill, 6 miles NNW of Coalville / Leicestershire
Sgt(P) BORLAND, John H. – 1057662 – RAF – UK7684 Sgt(N) CLARKSON, George H. – 1554278 – RAF – UK7583
Sgt(Ba) HAYES, John D. – 1507661 – RAF – UK1068
Sgt(WAG) PITHARA, Stelois P. – 1336315 – RAF (Cyprus) – UK2123
Sgt(RG) STAPLEY, Robert McK. – 1807327 – RAF – UK4439