A cold would/could block his ear,nose,sinuses which keep your balance senses in trim ,tells you whether you are leaning,stationary,correct way up,it’s wiki but the basics are there https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vestibular_system.
If you stand in a dark room how do you know which is correct? ,add noise ,confusion,tiredness and dont forget it only takes a second to lose alot of height .

So the crash was caused by Russell having a cold and not going to the M O to be signed of work then?

Got the report of Stanley James Accident today!!

Here is what it says:

Report of flying accident on 13th January 1945

W/O Russell a pilot of 60.O.U.T.accompanied by a staff Navigator and 4 pupil Navigator took off in Anson MK.890 at 23.30 hours on the 12th January 1945, to carry out a night GEE and map reading exercise. His course was to be: BASE NESWTON NANTWICH RUGELEY LEAMINGTON TEWKEBURY BRIDGNOTH OSWESTRY STONE MUCH WENLCK BASE. This route is elastic and depends to a great degree on instructions from the staff navigator. Moreover, at briefing pilots had be told to stay in the north of the area, if the weather was indifferent in the south.
At 01.55 W/O Russell was seen by Mr. C H Weaver flying fairly low on a southerly course: the starboard navigation light waws above two white lights. This suggests that the aircraft was either banked to port, or that it was on its back. The latter postulate seems the most likely, and this is also borne out by the technical evidence: the only cylinder remaining attached to the starboard engine was on at the bottom of the engine, where it was protected by a propeller blade.
After passing almost overhead, Mr C H Weaver states that the engine sound changed to a scream and the aircraft dived into the ground.
Weather conditions at the time of the accident were: visibility 3 miles clouds 10/10th of 1300 feet Wind N E 8 MPH Weather slight mist. .
FINDINGS OF THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER f/lt f white (8.1.45.)
The pilot was fully briefed. The flight properly authorised, the weather suitable and the aircraft serviceable for the flight. The primary case of the accident was, in his opinion, loss of control at night: it is considered that the technical evidence is not sufficiently conclusive to point to engine failure.
It is noteworthy that this pilot had been off flying for two days prior to the accident on account of a bad cold and it is considered that this may have been a contributory factor.
REMARKS OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER (19.1.45)
I can add nothing to the conclusions of the Investigating Officer detailed above. Seems unlikely that a pilot with 600 hours to his credit would have efficiency so impaired by the after effects of a cold that he would utterly lost control of an Anson aircraft. W/O Russell had not reported sick or been treated by the M O.
REMARKS OF THE AIR OFFICER COMMANDING
Agrees with the finding of the Investigating officer, but does not consider the after erect of the cold could have caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft.
REMARKSW OF THE AIR OFFICER COMMANDING IN CHIEF
Remarks of the group commander are concurred in.

I have just sent pistonrob a private message asking who he is!! Never heard of him before!!

eemmmmm!!!! NOT me I am afraid!!

Wish I knew whom it was though, is there anyway to find out do you know please?

What is a ‘C of G’ problem please!!

Please could someone kindly see if there is a medal he was awarded and see if you could obtain it for me please, as I would love to have it if I could please?

So that means that my uncle was one of the bodies found on the ground, why did they tell Mum that the coffin only contained sand then and not the body? That doesn’t make any sense to me, what happened to his body? I need to know after all he is my uncle. The eyewitness said that there were 6 bodies on the ground. I there anyone that can find this out for me please? I need to know please?

There were 6 bodies and the Avro Anson held six people didn’t it? I think in the eyewitness report he said that there was 6 bodies. I think that the plane was a MK890.