Trying To Trace....

[Phoenix09]

In my local churchyard are the graves of two RAF officers who died on the same day, 17th November 1952.
They are Flt Lt J. A. Richards aged 31 and Flying Officer A. B. Struthers aged 31.
I have heard, although I have no idea how accurate it is, that they both died in an aircrash near to where they are buried in the churchyard of St John's church in Woodley, Berkshire.
I have tried the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for further information without any luck.
I was wondering if anybody had any ideas as to how I could go about finding out more information on how they died. If it was in an aeroplane crash is it not a bit unusual, in peacetime for them to be buried together near the site of the crash rather than in their home parishes?

[Phoenix09]

Excellent. Thanks for that. I think that my next stop will be the local library to see if I can find any newspaper articles on the crash.

Thanks again.

[henry crun]

Phoenix09: There is an entry in Broken Wings about this accident.

17.11.52:: Anson C19:: TX197:: FTC CF (unit):: Sandford Farm, 1m NE of Woodley:: Lost power on takeoff, stalled and dived into ground inverted:: 3 fatal

[bolmas]

i have a similar query about a test pilot killed in 1940.what is the broken wings site and can you give me the web address? does it cover all air accidents?
MANY THANKS

[PaperTiger]

This site (http://www.baaa-acro.com) (not commercial I think) has a good list of accidents in the Archive section (by year). No details for each, but a good starting reference. That seems to have been a bad week for Annies BTW :sad:

[bolmas]

thanks for the info but i have drawn a blank.

whilst visiting the church at elloughton in east yorks, a look at the graveyard revealed 4 graves of airmen killed and buried there. one caught my eye in particular. it was fg/off B.R.rolfe test pilot killed 3/3/40. the church is very close to the brough factory,could he have been an raf pilot working there? has anyone got any more info on the accident as i am gettin more curious the more i search!

MANY THANKS FOR THE HELP

[Groundgripper]

Googling on B.R.Rolfe reveals:

"March 5th 1940

Blackburn Botha L6129, on a test flight from Brough, crashes at Flixborough, Lincolnshire, with the loss of veteran test pilot B. R. Rolfe and his flight test observer."

GG

[John Farley]

Further to Groundgripper's post

Fg Off Rolfe's observer on 5 March 1940 was Mr J B E Johnson

[bolmas]

thanks for that, i tried on google and couldnt find anything relevant.

[John Farley]

The date discrepancy is interesting. You noted 3 Mar the book I have that lists UK test flying accidents has it as 5 Mar as does Groundgripper from another source. Not too difficult perhaps for a stonemason copying from poor handwriting to mix up a 3 and 5