Is there any kind person out there who can identify the Wellington which apparently crashed somewhere near the Tyburn area of Birmingham at about 1am on August 7 1942?
My father was in the local Home Guard at the time, and I’m scanning in the diaries he kept from 1920 to 1985 – a long task! He writes that the accident was within earshot of his lodgings in Tyburn Road and that, as he was still in uniform, he worked with the local police to make the crash site secure. He identifies the aircraft as a Wellington and says there were four casualties. Two crew managed to bail out and were presumably safe.
I’ve had a quick look in some online data bases, but haven’t been able to identify it. I’ve probably been looking in the wrong place – can anyone help?
By: l.garey - 15th June 2020 at 09:08
Scouse1: Did you get my PM two days ago?
Laurence
By: l.garey - 14th June 2020 at 08:46
Thanks Snapper. I am in touch with Kev and Moggy. Amazing that this superb piece of investigation is still with us after 17 years. Just shows what the forum was capable of in its heyday.
Laurence
By: Snapper - 13th June 2020 at 23:40
Good Lord. Percy Moxey’s story comes up again! I’ve let Kev know, I’m not sure he can still login in. I know Moggy can’t. Fascinating to read a witness’ diary entry. Thanks for posting it up
By: l.garey - 13th June 2020 at 14:37
Scouse1: I have details of someone who wishes to contact you. I’ll send you his address by PM (assuming I can get PMs to work on this new system). Let me know if you get the message.
Laurence
By: l.garey - 13th June 2020 at 14:29
I have just realised that this is the same event that was discussed in some detail in a thread started in 2003 by former moderator MoggyC. It’s worth looking back at that:
https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/98-percy-leslie-moxey?page=0
Laurence
By: Atcham Tower - 9th June 2020 at 14:43
Glad to help. RAF Bomber Command Losses OTUs volume provided the answer.
By: Scouse1 - 8th June 2020 at 13:46
Thanks for that – I knew someone would have the answer at their fingertips.
My father was in lodgings in Tyburn Road, Birmingham at the time, and was garage foreman at the Tyburn depot of the department store Lewis’s. From checking with maps, the crash site would only have been about a quarter of a mile away. I’m guessing the Latex Rubber company was part of Dunlop’s.
The entry reads: 1 am. A Wellington crashes by the canal by digs. Go out in uniform leaving Mrs W [his landlady] in hell of a panic.
Ammo exploding and terrible fire. 4 men killed and 2 saved by bailing out. Dozens of coppers – give them a hand to hold the crowd back. It sets fire to a store room at Latex Rubber. Out by about 2 and so to bed.
By: Atcham Tower - 8th June 2020 at 10:05
It was Wellington R1075 of 16 OTU, Upper Heyford. Off track on a night navex, it hit a balloon cable and crashed at Erdington, Bham. Three crew baled out successfully and three others were killed.
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June 7, 2020 at 11:00 pm