Valiant XD869 - Crash at Marham in 1959

[DeepestSouth]

Relatives of Flt Lt Howard (Nav/Radio Op), who was killed in 214 Sqn Valiant XD 869 near Marham on 11 Sep 1959, are seeking any information on, or memories of, the accident. They have a copy of the BoI (after many years of a lot of hassle) but would be very appreciative of anything else anyone can remember. It's a long time ago and a bit of a long shot but I said I'd ask the PPruners!

[A2QFI]

All I could find was information on the 214 Sqn website which says:_
Flt/Lt Donald Howard AFM


Flt/Lt Donald Howard AFM, Navigator / Radio Operator, 2238475, Royal Air Force , Nationality : United Kingdom. KIA 11 September 1959 Age 31.

SEE CREWS AND LOSSES for Valiant B Mark I XD869 .

Date of Birth 11 May 1928 in Finsbury Park, London.

Stationed at RAF Marham.

He is buried in Marham Cemetery, Norfolk. RAF Grave 9.

Named on the following Memorials :
Armed Forces Memorial
Rolls of Honour, Church of St Clement Danes, London

Source : Jock Whitehouse and Armed Forces Memorial

This is probably already known to this officer's relatives

[ian16th]

I was serving on 214 Sqdn when this event occurred. I was a 22-year-old, Cpl. Air Radar technician at the time. I had joined the Sqdn. in February 1959.

The Sqdn was engaged in an ‘Exercise Sunspot’ for 6 weeks. Most of the A/C and personnel, including myself, were in Malta at RAF Luqa.

XD869 was scheduled to carry out a 'Lone Ranger' flight from RAF Marham to RAF Eastleigh (Nairobi). This would necessitate in-flight refuelling from the tanker A/C operating from Luqa.

I was assigned to the night shift that was to pre-flight, see off and then see in and after flight the two tankers operating from Luqa. I cannot recollect the time that the shift was scheduled to start, but it was brought foreword and we were summoned from our accommodation about an hour early. We were told that this was because the weather at Marham was deteriorating and the schedule had been advanced to beat the weather.

I was the only Radar Fitter on the shift so I had to do both pre-flights. I had completed the inspection and signed the F700 of one A/C and while I was carrying out the 2nd pre-flight, one Cpl Greaves, an Armourer, came to the A/C to tell us that flying was scrubbed, ‘because of the weather at Marham’.

The shift then closed up the A/C and put the bung’s in the engines etc. and we went to an unexpected early night in bed. I believe that this was about 02:00 local time.

The following morning we were awakened by a very noisy day shift. This was most unusual as day workers normally respected the night workers rest period. They had heard on the radio that a Valiant had crashed at Marham.

We immediately assumed that this was why ‘our’ flight had been cancelled, awaiting an investigation.

The next we knew was when the morning newspapers arrived by civilian airline. The casualties were named in one paper; this told us that it was a 214 Sqdn. crew. The Crew Chief named was Chief Tech Bob Sewell. Bob was the Crew Chief of XD858, so we assumed that it was this A/C that had crashed.

About mid day, we had a Valiant fly in from Marham and we were assembled for a briefing where we learnt that the A/C involved was XD869.

All of the above are my recollections of the night, what follows is what I gleaned later, so I suppose it is hearsay, but it is 1st hand hearsay from other Sqdn. members.

As was normal for ‘Lone Ranger’ flights, two A/C were prepared and two air crews readied. Because of the schedule being advance very close to ETD. The spare aircrew did the A/C ‘walk around’ while the prime crew attended their briefing.

On ‘Lone Ranger’ flights, where the Crew Chief was flying in the A/C, another Crew Chief was assigned to do the actual seeing off. In this case Bob Sewell was the ‘other’ Crew Chief. The Crew Chief of XD869, whose name escapes me, was suffering from a heavy cold or ‘flu, so asked Bob to take his place on the ‘Lone Ranger’. Bob went home to his family in Married Quarters to pack a bag and promised to bring home some pineapples for his kids. The ‘Lone Rangers’ to Eastleigh were known as ‘the pineapple run’.

I know that the person that did the Radar pre-flight was one Cpl Mick Dunn, as he later told me how worried he was about having done a pre-flight on an A/C that crashed. Mick later became a navigator and was commissioned. He came from Leeds.

The Officer Commanding 214 Sqdn at the time was Wg. Cdr. Mike Beetham DFC, he later became Chief of the Air Staff, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham GCB, CBE, DFC, AFC, DL, FRAaes. He is still alive, albeit now in his 80’s.

I still exchange Xmas cards with my then boss Sgt Brian King, as I recollect, he was not a member of the Luqa detachment and as a Sgt. would not have been on the night shift at Marham. If desired I can write to him to see if he has any information. He does not have e-mail.

If you have any other questions I will try to help.

[DeepestSouth]

Thanks SO much, Ian16th. I'll pass this on to Flt Lt Howard's nephew. I have no direct involvement or knowledge of the crash ( I didn't join the RAF until 1971) but have been touched by the family's honest and sincere for knowledge of events. I'll pass this on immediately.

[Hipper]

The last I heard Sir Michael Beetham is President of the Bomber Command Association.

RAF BOMBER COMMAND (http://www.rafbombercommand.com/master_the_association.html)

I understand he is very approachable.

[ian16th]

Since sending my earlier contribution, I have looked at the 214 Sqdn Association website, where it clearly states that there were 7 crew aboard XD869 and one of them survived.

This is not my recollection of the event.

Furthermore, I never heard of 7 people flying in a Vickers Valiant in all of my more than 4 years working on the type.

There were 6 seats in a Valiant, two ejector seats for Captain and Co-pilot, 3 rear facing seats for 2 Navigators and 1 WOP/AEO. There was a 'jump seat' that was used by the Crew Chief on the occasions that he was needed to fly in the A/C

[Warmtoast]

Since sending my earlier contribution, I have looked at the 214 Sqdn Association website, where it clearly states that there were 7 crew aboard XD869 and one of them survived.


The only contemporary press cuttings I could find mention six crew. The first spells Marham wrongly.
See below.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Image1-5.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Image2-5.jpg

[ian16th]

Warmastoast,

Thanks for that.

Can you please indicate your sources? The 1st cutting reads 'local', was it the Lynn News & Advertiser?

[Warmtoast]

ian16th


The 1st cutting reads 'local', was it the Lynn News & Advertiser?


No. The Guardian.

[DeepestSouth]

Thanks, once again, to all of you - I'll pass this on to the family member concerned!

[madcat11]

Google Image Result for http://www.johnw55.freeuk.com/vbomber/images/raf06w.jpg (http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.johnw55.freeuk.com/vbomber/images/raf06w.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.johnw55.freeuk.com/vbomber/&usg=__e71mzBDPY0hTYyBdDYgh9bKaNfM=&h=600&w=800&sz=37&hl=en&start=113&um=1&tbnid=nj0anMbvwMODjM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvickers%2Bvaliant%26start%3D100%26ndsp%3D20%26u m%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN)

See if this link works. Found it while surfing for some Valiant info. It's the memmoirs of a National Serviceman. About half way through there is a reference to the crash in question.

[ian16th]

I have learnt today, from the 214 Sqdn Association that Flt Lt Gallienne was not on board XD869 for its last flight. They are updating the Associations website and adding a photo of a very young me :)

It was a surprise to me, 50 years after the event, to discover a report that there ever were 7 people flying in a Valiant.

Working in this A/C when it was on the ground was problematic enough, particularly when trying to do the last After Flight of a night shift.

[pontifex]

Was this not the runaway TPI incident?

Flew over 2000 hrs on the beast and never had 7 on board.

[ian16th]

pontifex,

From my memories of half a century ago, the BOI only found 'possible' causes. Runaway TPI was one of the suspects, but no evidence of such. Definitely not a failed switch. Everyone on every Valiant sqdn was aware of the switch problems.

Does Deepest South have access to the copy of the BOI findings that the family of Flt Lt Howard have?

[DeepestSouth]

Ian16th - sorry, I don't have access to the BoI. I've asked the family member for information, though - either for me to pass on to PPrune, or for him to add to PPrune himself. The only comment he has made to me in the past is that the BoI seemed to indicate human error.

[ian16th]

DeepestSouth,

My memory tells me it was, 'Everything was done in a hurry, and something slipped though the cracks. But we don't know what'

[ian16th]

After the intervening half a century, I believe the Crew Chief that had 'flu and didn't fly in XD869 that fateful night was a Chief Tech Jarvis.

[Tankertrashnav]

I have circulated a request to my own address list of ex V Force aircrew, which includes a lot of old Valiant hands, so some personal reminiscences may come from this. As an aside, it as always struck me that quite a number of fatal accidents involving V aircraft occurred when someone was in the 6th seat (or even the 7th in the case of the Vulcan at Luqa in the 1970's). I wonder if anyone has studied this for a possible connection.

[Tankertrashnav]

Just an update on the above, a number of ex Valiant guys who were at Marham at the time of the crash have been in touch with me. Contact me for email addresses if you are interested to get in touch with them.

[pontifex]

ian16th

We were all made aware of the TPI runaway problems after this crash. If memory serves at this range a TPI isolate switch was hastily installed on the centre consol. On every sim session thereafter one would trim forward as the flaps came up with one hand on the trim switches and the other on the isolate switch. It got Alan Pringle very upset when he couldn't catch you out!

[GIGFY]

I joined 214 mid '59 as a lowly rigger and one of the first tasks impossed on myself and the other newbies was to assist in the clean-up of 869; we still though it to be 858 but who looks at the a/c # left on the pans?

There were only 6 bodies recovered and DNA would have been necessary to identify the deceased but dental records helped out there. To my recollection it wasn't Jarvis that had the flu but Barnet (?) - sorry, senile D kicks in now and again but I remember no-one but no-one could talk to him for yonks after. The TPI was blamed but I'm ashamed to admit that this was the first time I heard that if the crew survive then its either maintenance of unknown but if they die it will be human error. As you all have said, the TPI was a known fault and should have been 100% bypassed insteadm if my memory is correct, they put the swith next to the a/c trim controls. As Homer would say, 'DUH'.

I've just finished reading 'Vulcan 607' and it's great to see our Beetham and Price did so well; most deserveable.
GIGFY (guiness is good for you)

[Sheila Sewell Eddy]

Hi, my father was C/T RV Sewell on that flight. I have all the paper clippings and photos that I could of that frightful night.
I have visited Marham and taken photos of all the graves there. and have a booklet from Marham when I asked for any information about the crash. Of course not much has come of that. I am in contact with a few people who were at Marham at the time. So feel free to email me. My sister and I never got over the horror of that crash that changed our lives forever, and it does not help when you cannot find out any information from any source, the article I read when I typed in my fathers name on google gave me probably more in the shortest time. Regards Sheila Sewell Eddy

[AnotherPenguin]

Am currently browsing a Valiant tanker pilot (deceased) log book to write up his flying career. Have reached 1958 entries and he is clearly on Tanker trials duties in which he notes during separate sorties: Trial 306: XD816: '2 below'; XD869: '3 below'; XD812: '2 above & 8 below'; XD816: '7 below'. For the month in question: June 1958 he totals: 'Hook-ups: 32 (12 above). I believe all these relate to 'dummy' tanker/receiver flights but it is not clear (to me) what is going on. Is there anyone out there who could interpret this for me please?

[langleybaston]

I have sent a PM a week ago. I am in touch with friend who was called as witness to BoI and am willing to intercede.

[aw ditor]

I see that 'Scrubs' Wormall was the Co-Pilot I cannot remember the basis for his nickname but ISTR he was ex one of the 70+Entries at Cranwell.

[D H Taylor]

Having only just become aware of this website, this is a rather late reply to your question.
I was the duty Met Observer that night and can remember the crew coming in for their briefing. I knew the co-pilot, Peter Wormall, from school days. I was not privy to the forecasts or the briefing details and never saw the BOI findings or attended the enquiry. However, I can remember that visibility was misty, about 2000 to 3000m but perfectly reasonable for take-off.
Something that stuck in my mind was the unusually strong temperature inversion in the lower layers at the time of take-off. The aircraft was fully laden with fuel and instead of having extra lift from the usually denser air aloft as it ascended (temperature usually decreases with height), the warmer and less dense air it probably experienced was a distinct disadvantage. Please remember that I was not a trained forecaster and had no input into the proceedings apart from observing and plotting tephigrams and charts.
Dave Taylor

[Tinribs]

You list the above as killed in a Valiant.

There was such a Name killed in a Victor accident from Marham in about 68. The Victor was climbing from Marham and collided with a Canberra inbound from Germanyfor a range sortie

Bill lived next door but one to me in MQs, I heard the crash

It may be the two accidents are being confused because Gallienne is an unusual name, Gurnsey I think

[RetiredBA/BY]

You are correct. Bill Gallienne was a QFI on the Victor TTF at Marham when I did the Victor 1 course in 1965. My friend and colleague, Roger Morton, also died, he was on his ICC course. A truly tragic accident.

[ian16th]

Among the pictures to celebrate the RAF's 100th Birthday, is one of the 3 V-Bombers in formation. Dated 1958.

The Valiant is XD869.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2018/apr/01/100-years-of-the-raf-in-pictures

[persic]

I was posted to 214 Squadron straight from trade training in February 1959 as an AC1 ‘rigger’ and I remember the XD869 incident vividly.

The day before XD869 was due to fly a Lone Ranger to Entebbe, I and Henry (Paddy) Milne, another rigger, were told to report to Chief Tech ‘Johnny’ Johnson for a job on XD869. Having reported we were told that there was an urgent job to do involving the replacement of the port inner flap. This was surprising because this was usually regarded as 2nd line servicing and so would normally be carried out in the hangar and not on the dispersal pans.

Paddy Milne and myself together with Johnny Johnson carried out the work and completed it by mid-afternoon. As far as I am aware no test flight was carried out during the day time, whether one was carried out after normal working hours I have no idea.

I agree with ‘GIGFY’s’ message that XD869’s crew chief was Chief Tech Partridge, (not Chief Tech Jarvis) a fairly sombre character. It’s correct that he had just gone down with a heavy cold and had asked Bob Sewell if he would take his place.

In the middle of that night I was awoken by the roar of aircraft engines. This was unusual because there was often night flying at Marham and it had never woken me before, other than for the first few weeks after I had arrived. I briefly checked my watch and saw that it was around 03:00. Realising that this must be XD869 preparing for take-off, I lay there and listened as the engine power increased prior and during take-off. A short time after this, certainly no more than a minute, there was a sudden and abrupt silence, I immediately sat bolt upright, totally confused by this silence. This was followed by a loud explosion and shaking of the accommodation block.

The station photographer was accommodated in our room of 22 men and within minutes of the crash an RAF police corporal burst into the room shouting for the station photographer. By this time of course everyone was awake and I for one never got any more sleep that night. Constantly worrying whether there was anything that we had done with the port inner flap that might have contributed to the crash.

That week I was on key duty for the squadron dispersal buildings and I needed to be up at around 06:00 to collect the keys from the guardroom and open up the squadron dispersal buildings. At that period, the squadron dispersal area was located not far from the bomb dump about half a mile away from No 1 hangar. Having collected the keys, I made my way up to 214 dispersal, passing No 1 hangar on the way. I noticed lots of activity around a small building alongside the hangar, a building that I had never noticed before, it was the station mortuary.

Crossing the long stretch of grass between the hangar and 214 dispersal, the September mists were swirling, one minute quite dense, then almost clear. As I grew closer to the dispersal area, the mist cleared momentarily and there standing outside the buildings on a small rise was the ghostly outline of Chief Tech Bob Sewell’s, cream coloured Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire. He was quite proud of this car and had bought it, I believe, from the actor Jon Pertwee. It remained there all day and was a constant reminder to all of us of the recent tragedy. I remember that Chief Tech Partridge was beside himself because of the situation and couldn’t speak to anybody.

The date of the crash was Friday, September the 11th 1959, all weekend leave was then cancelled in order to get all those men not on duty to form a large slow sweep of the land. This was from the end of the main runway to just short of the point of impact, a distance of around 2Km. Nothing of interest was found.

As far as remember the BOI never really settled on the definitive cause of the accident, only a suggestion that it might have involved the TPI. No one that I spoke to at the time could provide any explanation as to the reason for the abrupt silence of the aircraft engines that I had appeared to witness. By this time I was wide awake and I doubt whether I could have been imagining it.

[Sheila Sewell Eddy]

Hi, my name is Sheila Sewell. I am the daughter of Bob Sewell. You described how you saw Dads car parked by the hanger. Armstrong Siddely reg was HTO 776.
I have never forgotten. Do you know what happened to the car, Mum never spoke of it or Dad after the accident so never knew what happened to it. I used to sit with Dad and pass him tools when he worked on it outside our house in Windmill Ave.
Thanks in advance, Sheila

[MarkF7219]

Hi, my name is Sheila Sewell. I am the daughter of Bob Sewell. You described how you saw Dads car parked by the hanger. Armstrong Siddely reg was HTO 776.
I have never forgotten. Do you know what happened to the car, Mum never spoke of it or Dad after the accident so never knew what happened to it. I used to sit with Dad and pass him tools when he worked on it outside our house in Windmill Ave.
Thanks in advance, Sheila
Hi Aunty Sheila - everyone else - I'm Bob Sewell's grandson. Sheila - should we update this to reflect the new information we now know from RAF Marham's chaplain?