Looking for info on HF600 Wellington X crash 29 Sept 43
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Looking for info on HF600 Wellington X crash 29 Sept 43
Hope this is the right forum, if not please move.
An old friend lost his brother who was a bomb aimer in an "aircraft accident" on 29th Sept 1943, and has asked me to find out what information is available. He does know his brother, Sgt Charles Braund had said to the family the aircraft "weren’t airworthy". Whether he was referring to this particular one or most 17OTU ones I don't know.
I have found out a bit of history regarding the Wellington involved and it does seem to have been a bit unlucky.
Wellington HF600 was built to contract B124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at Chester and delivered to MU for acceptance in June 1943 before being issued to 428 Squadron at Middleton St.George in mid-June 1943. It was then transferred to 429 Squadron at East Moor during the last week of June 1943. On 7th July 1943 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with mine-laying and bombing U-Boat pens at Brest, France when it was hit by flak from a flakship. The damage was serious in that it knocked out the aircraft's hydraulic system which operated bomb doors and the doors were also bent in the attack. The crew were unable to locate the target area and returned safely to East Moor. Cat.A/FB damage was recorded and the aircraft was repaired Following the damage sustained above Cat.A/FB damage was recorded. It was repaired at East Moor which was completed by 24th July 1943. Whilst returning from Ops on 3rd August 1943 it suffered engine trouble and made emergency landing at Swanton Morley. Repairs were carried out on site their but on completion later in the month, the aircraft was not returned to it's unit, but transferred to 17 OTU at Silverstone. It was then destroyed in a Cat. E2/FA accident on 29th September 1943 when it dived into ground 1.5 miles West of Wappenham, Northamptonshire killing six of its then crew.
Can anyone point me in the right direction, i.e. did the RAF have Boards of Inquiry and accident investigations during the war, where I can find further information on the crash.
An old friend lost his brother who was a bomb aimer in an "aircraft accident" on 29th Sept 1943, and has asked me to find out what information is available. He does know his brother, Sgt Charles Braund had said to the family the aircraft "weren’t airworthy". Whether he was referring to this particular one or most 17OTU ones I don't know.
I have found out a bit of history regarding the Wellington involved and it does seem to have been a bit unlucky.
Wellington HF600 was built to contract B124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at Chester and delivered to MU for acceptance in June 1943 before being issued to 428 Squadron at Middleton St.George in mid-June 1943. It was then transferred to 429 Squadron at East Moor during the last week of June 1943. On 7th July 1943 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with mine-laying and bombing U-Boat pens at Brest, France when it was hit by flak from a flakship. The damage was serious in that it knocked out the aircraft's hydraulic system which operated bomb doors and the doors were also bent in the attack. The crew were unable to locate the target area and returned safely to East Moor. Cat.A/FB damage was recorded and the aircraft was repaired Following the damage sustained above Cat.A/FB damage was recorded. It was repaired at East Moor which was completed by 24th July 1943. Whilst returning from Ops on 3rd August 1943 it suffered engine trouble and made emergency landing at Swanton Morley. Repairs were carried out on site their but on completion later in the month, the aircraft was not returned to it's unit, but transferred to 17 OTU at Silverstone. It was then destroyed in a Cat. E2/FA accident on 29th September 1943 when it dived into ground 1.5 miles West of Wappenham, Northamptonshire killing six of its then crew.
Can anyone point me in the right direction, i.e. did the RAF have Boards of Inquiry and accident investigations during the war, where I can find further information on the crash.
Bill Chorley's OTU volume in his wonderful Bomber Command Losses series says that HF600 took off from Turweston at 2020 hrs for a Bullseye Exercise (a navigational detail simulating a bombing raid on a nominated "target") Returning to base in the early hours of the following morning,control was lost while orbiting a beacon and the aircraft dived into the ground at 0114 hrs. It would seem that it was probably vertigo and pilot inexperience rather than an aircraft fault that caused this accident. However, OTU Wellingtons were often a bit past it. What the Americans called - officially - war-weary. The OTU losses book makes grim reading.
The Accident Investigation Branch only analysed certain accidents when called upon by the RAF. Some of these reports are obtainable from The National Archives at Kew. More details on this link.
RAF-lincolnshire.info :: historical sources
The Accident Investigation Branch only analysed certain accidents when called upon by the RAF. Some of these reports are obtainable from The National Archives at Kew. More details on this link.
RAF-lincolnshire.info :: historical sources
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Thanks for info
Please accept my thanks for both your responses, I knew the knowledge of PPRuNe's would not fail.
Will pass the info to Charles brother Eric, who is still going strong at 86 years old.
Will pass the info to Charles brother Eric, who is still going strong at 86 years old.
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An old friend lost his brother who was a bomb aimer in an "aircraft accident" on 29th
If you go to New Page 2 17 otu
Sgt E Atkinson 1452621 Killed Barnsley Cemetery Sgt Cozens 1385661 Killed Bandon Hill Cemetery Sgt C G Braund 1320783 Killed Orpington Churchyard Sgt K B Roberts 1585875 Killed Oxford (Botley) Cemetery Sgt A B Shanks RCAF R/194853 Killed Oxford (Botley) Cemetery Sgt D Crosland 1305841 Killed Battyeford Burial Ground
Sgt E Atkinson 1452621 Killed Barnsley Cemetery Sgt Cozens 1385661 Killed Bandon Hill Cemetery Sgt C G Braund 1320783 Killed Orpington Churchyard Sgt K B Roberts 1585875 Killed Oxford (Botley) Cemetery Sgt A B Shanks RCAF R/194853 Killed Oxford (Botley) Cemetery Sgt D Crosland 1305841 Killed Battyeford Burial Ground
did the RAF have Boards of Inquiry and accident investigations during the war, where I can find further information on the crash.
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HF600 crash
Sorry for the delay, I hadn't been aware anyone had replied.
I have just created a Facebook site 17 OTU RAF Silverstone and RAF Turweston and suggest you join up. Garth Barnard military historian has info about this and I'll ask him to advise what he knows
17 OTU 1943
This link has some info
I have just created a Facebook site 17 OTU RAF Silverstone and RAF Turweston and suggest you join up. Garth Barnard military historian has info about this and I'll ask him to advise what he knows
17 OTU 1943
This link has some info
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Garth Barnard will be joining up this forum in the next few days and he has all the info. It is his website aviationresearch by the way
Last edited by mooog1; 15th Feb 2015 at 14:57. Reason: spelling mistake
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Sorry for joining this thread so late.
exgroundcrew: I have some info for you (Accident Record Card, etc), so if you wouldn't mind contacting me, then I will do my utmost to help.
My contact details are on my website: About
Kindest regards,
Garth.
exgroundcrew: I have some info for you (Accident Record Card, etc), so if you wouldn't mind contacting me, then I will do my utmost to help.
My contact details are on my website: About
Kindest regards,
Garth.
