Air Bomber alternative for Bomb Aimer – BA

Regards
Ross

The RNLI record of service records only the “No Service” from the St Ives boat crew. Coastguard was a separate service.

The attached pages are the RAF Form 1180 Accident Card that summarises the detail.

This suggests primary cause as incorrect loading but AOCinC differs. Fire will probably occurred just after or before they hit the sea.

Copyright is acknowledged as RAF AHB/RAF Museum Hendon for these series of cards.

Regards
Ross

Two category were designated FA and FB

FA Flying Accident
FB Flying Battle.

F1180 Accident Cards were mostly raised for FA with the odd one annotated with FB then altered to FA when the C of I subsequently excluded Intruder as possible cause.

The lodging of the FA (F1180) at Hendon is microfilm only with the original cards still held at AHB for reference only.

This is possibly the reason that the FA are not part of the discussed transfer.

In terms of size

Just over 100 reels cover 1939-45 at approx 2000 images or 1000 cards per reel

So 100,000 recorded accidents.

Rough estimate is 1 in 10 were fatal so 10,000 fatal accidents or 30,000 to 40,000 RAF Fatalities in the FA but usually only 1 name per accident recorded on the card.

That leaves the FB series which is losses due to enemy action.

Coastal Command fatalities were approx 11,000 but reducing those to FB would come down to approx 6,000 for this one command.

To my mind the numbers given for the packs seems to be in the ball park if the reduced scope is considered.

Regards
Ross

Just gone overhead at Bewdley in the West Midlands.

Nice and slow for the prop driven aircraft alongside doing the air to air shots.

Ross

Different beasts.

134 is a pressurised PR9 with access/egress to the pilot compartment only via the canopy.

The intruder version retained the crew door access and the canopy did not open for access, only egress via Martin and Baker.

Regards
Ross

Now there is a blast from the past.

Eaten many a cheese toastie in the Naffi (left hand side ground floor of the two story block on the domestic site). Behind was the parade square (car park – you can hear the old SWOs spinning up to high revs in their graves).

The toastie was put under the grill in a celophane wrapper that ballooned up. Sometimes it burst and mixed in with the toastie – not much difference in taste from when the bag was removed before serving.

Piggy bank Spitfire was parked on the grass just to the right of the Airman Mess/Naffi.

Thompson Block behind (all the Barrack Blocks around the square were named after VC winners).

Would pick up Landies from behind MT sheds, pop over to the lean to flight offices attached to the hangar to pick up the signalling batteries and walk over the apron where the AEF Chippies roosted to the tower to pick up the days met.

Sad to say I am now of an age where the road led to the old main terminal where you could walk onto the shuttle One Eleven and buy your ticket on board.

Nice to see piccys of what was..I think.

Ross

Hi Tim,

Even the AACU at Cleave was not a quiet place in Aug 1940 for your recuperation.

Shortages of aircraft limited the number of shoots, engine failure to L3311 on the 13th, L3436 had a ground incident with a Blenheim on the same day, Ju88s bombed the aerodrome at 09.15 hrs on the 26th damaging L3282 and L3253 with shrapnel.

Later that day another single German aircraft was driven off by AA fire from the battery.

ORB pages for No.1 ACCU, D flight attached (content copyright TNA).

As to Henley drawings – quite a few of the Hurricane production sheets are also noted as Henley.

Regards
Ross