Master crash at Westwood

The old Officers Mess at Westwood became a teachers training college as my first wife trained there. Whilst I was at RAF Wittering in the 70’s, they were building one of the many housing estates on the fringes of Peterborough a digger revealed some aircraft wreckage containing some human remains. I helped identify some of the parts as a Miles Master Mk.II which had been crashed on a night flying exercise by a P/O AH Jones. I still have a yellow paint fragment from this a/c. Somewhere I have a small booklet about RAF Westwood which was published a few years ago.

John

Dear John
I have a bit more information about another Master crash at Westood. I just got hold of “Wings over Westwood” by Graham Simons. In it he quotes:
19/8/43 T8659 Master “Engine failed … Pilot bailed out, but aircraft hit house in Priory Road”
As my grandfather lived in Priory Road it is likely this is the aircraft friom which he recovered a few pieces, that are now lost:
During the war I remember my grandfather showing me a bit of an aircraft that had apparently crashed in or near his garden As I was very little then I cannot remember what bit it was, nor where it went.

Clearly not the case to which your refer. Yours could be the Master that crashed during night flying on 5/5/44

For T21

I have no record of seeing G-AEMH or G-ADOK at Westwood. Rapides that used it were G-AHED, KNY, LBH, LBI. Tiger Moths G-AHMN, NRV, and later HUE glider towing for the Perkins Club.
From 1960 on, regulars based there were Aztecs G-ARBR of Baker Perkins, and PXN of Mitchell Engineering, who also had Dove G-AOYD.
I mentioned other users in my posts earlier in this thread.
In view of your avatar name, maybe you would like to look at this link to a T21b of Perkins, which I actually flew.
http://www.westwoodworks.net/SportsAndPastimes/Activities/Gliding/images/1965GlidingSectionReadyToGo.jpg
Also, re Spalding, see:
http://www.psgc.co.uk/our_clubs_history.htm

Yes, I know that one and am in contact with them. I want to take it a bit further if I can. Thanks anyway.

Westwood Works

Thanks Baz. Without wanting to get off the thread of “RAF” Westwood. I have to say the photos of Baker Perkins’ Westwood Works are very evocative to me. You can even see Priory Road where I lived on some of the photos. Both my grandfathers worked for B-P.
I well remember the Baker Perkins Aztec and the Mitchell’s Dove. There was another Aztec, G-APXN, which I think was also Mitchell’s.
When they landed at Westwood there might well be a Valiant overhead on a wide circuit to Wittering.
Aircraft were housed in 2 corrugated iron hangars, both visible on the aerial shots Baz gives. The first was just past the main hangars, in which Mr J Bancroft kept his Autocrat G-AHAV. It can be seen in my earlier photo, with Westwood Works visible behind. The other was further round the peri-track, near Horrell’s farm. It contained, for example, G-AHAL.

Yokel: I do not have the book with the photos you mention. How can I get it, as I live a long way away now! Or can you copy the photos, or are they copyright or something? I may well be on the photos!
Thanks.

Mudmover asked for some Auster pictures at Westwood. I took these in 1952.
They are, in order, Autocrats G-AHAV, 2 of G-AHAL, G-AIGL. Also Hawk Trainer 3 G-AIDF and Messenger G-AKKC.
I hope I have not taken up too much space.
In the background of ‘AV you can see the Baker Perkins factory, recently demolished. Almost the whole airfield is now housing estates.