Leeming AFB

The crew was performing a training flight from RAF Binbrook to RAF Leeming. On touchdown, the tail wheel detached. The airplane swung on runway and went out of control before coming to rest. While both crew members were uninjured, the airplane was considered as damaged beyond repair. Strong cross winds were blowing at the time of the accident.

The crew was engaged in a local training flight at RAF Leeming and was completing local single engine circuits and bumps. After takeoff, the operating engine failed. The airplane lost speed and height and belly landed in a cornfield located at Holtby Hall next to the A1, about 3 miles north of the airbase. All three crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Pilot was Sgt M. J. Perry. Thanks to his son Roger Perry for the photos.

At the time of the accident RAF Leeming was using the Martinet aircraft as a target aircraft for crews training in the use of the interception radar flying in larger bomber-aircraft. In the Wellington on this day were Cadets from 1869 (Middlesbrough) Squadron ATC who were visiting Leeming in August 1951 during their summer camp and the boys were being given flights in both aircraft to demonstrate such techniques done in the RAF's training role. In the mid-afternoon of 13th August 1951 such a training flight was being carried out. Each aircraft was carrying one ATC Cadet and any other day such a flight would have been a fantastic experience for these young boys. There were three trainee navigators on the Wellington, all taking turns in doing the interceptions. Some would appear to have flying experience though and many were commissioned officers and it is probable that all has seen Wartime service. One of men these was certainly no novice, F/Lt Quinton had been a night-fighter navigator who was awarded the DFC in 1946 but was retraining at Leeming at the time of this accident. He had been de-mobbed after the War but had found civilian life hard and after five years had re-applied for a short-service commission. For him this training flight would have been very much run of the mill and really only a refresher course. As the two flights begun the Martinet took off and flew away in one direction, a short time later the Wellington took off with seven on board and flew off in the opposite direction. The radar operators would then guide their pilot to the Martinet to practice their skills. Both aircraft were flying at between 8-10,000 feet and the area of the sky was free of cloud, without warning cloud closed in and soon after the Martinet appeared out of the cloud and was too close to the Wellington, it's wing struck the Wellington. The Martinet then went into a dive and crashed killing the two in the aircraft which included the ATC Cadet. Both probably stood no chance of being able to get out of the aircraft. The Wellington went into an uncontrollable spin and began to break up in midair. By the time of the collision the Cadet and F/Lt Quinton in the Wellington had taken up a position in the astrodome, Quinton had carried out his part of the exercise and had moved to one side to let one of the others have their turn. The tail section of the Wellington began to break away from the aircraft and there would have been very little the pilot would have been able to do to land the aircraft. In the Wellington at the time the parachutes of the aircrew were stowed awaiting use, seeing a parachute pack nearby F/Lt Quinton picked up this and clipped it on ATC Cadet Derek Coates' harness. He jestured to the Cadet how to deploy his parachute and then pushed him through a hole where the tail section of the aircraft was once attached and thus clear of the crashing aircraft. Such an action then prevented F/Lt Quinton's own survival as further parachutes were stowed in the rear of the aircraft and were by now impossible to get to. F/Lt Quinton would have known this and by these actions his own chances were limited. The aircraft crashed in fields around Hudswell, near Catterick, North Yorkshire and sadly the six remaining aircrew were killed in the crash. In all eight were killed in the collision.
Crew (228th OCU):
F/O Peter Frederick Keeling, pilot, †
F/O Dawyck George McLeod Veitch, pilot, †
F/O George Michael Trotman, navigator, †
F/Lt John Alan Quinton, navigator, †
P/O Frank Leslie Farrell, navigator, †
P/O Edwin George Percival Garratt, navigator, †
Cad Derek Coates.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/dales/pg367.html

The crew was returning to his base in RAF Ford after the three mechanics performed some repairs on an aircraft that previously diverted to RAF Leeming. En route, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility when the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Great Coum located 3 miles south of Dent. All four crew members were killed. Crew from the 427th Squadron.

The aircraft left RAF Leeming in the evening of June 12 on a bombing mission to Bochum, Germany. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in flames in a field. Four crew were killed while three others were injured.
Crew (427th Squadron):
P/O Al M. Fellner, pilot,
Sgt J. Imms, †
P/O G. Dalton, †
P/O W. Thurston,
P/O B. Tedford, †
Sgt A. Dixon, †
P/O G. Huston.
Source & photos: http://www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem23.htm

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1916LT on March 12 on an operation to Essen. After being hit by the German Flak, the crew was able to return to base and while on finals both port engines failed, causing the Halifax to yaw violently and crash near the airfield. All seven crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/O C. O. Hatle, pilot,
Sgt W. G. Kapuscinski,
F/O A. M. Stockdale,
Sgt S. F. Osmond,
P/O W. E. Rowland,
Sgt H. Richmond,
Sgt A. A. Tschantre, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1910LT on an operation to Stuttgart. Outbound at 20,000 feet, an engine on the port side cut. The bombs were jettisoned circa 2305LT near the target, but height could not be maintained and while on course for base at 8,500 feet, the Halifax was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rozières. All seven crew members survived, three became PoW and four evaded.
Crew:
F/O Arnot Andrew Stewart, pilot,
Sgt J. A. Hammond, flight engineer,
F/Sgt David Duncan Patrick Leitch, navigator,
F/O George Herbert Lamus, bomb aimer,
Sgt Laurence Stanley Marsden, wireless operator,
Sgt R. D. Davidson, air gunner,
Sgt C. T. Hamilton, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1844LT on March 1st on an operation to Berlin. Shortly after midnight, while returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Zuidloo. Six crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
W/O Arnold Wallace Cochrane, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick Macdonald, flight engineer, †
W/O Harry Kenneth McCreery, navigator, †
W/O James Herbert Higgins, bomb aimer, †
F/Sgt Ross Weiss, wireless operator, †
W/O Junius Quintus Ashmore, air gunner,
W/O Ivor Charles Grice, air gunner. †

The crew was performing a local training flight at RAF Leeming. While in the circuit, the airplane suffered a partial stripping of the wing surface. This caused the bomber to roll onto its back and dive onto the ground, the port wing breaking off between 1,800 and 1,500 feet. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Philip Edward Thompson Townsend, pilot,
F/Sgt Jack Wreakes, navigator,
F/O Samuel Spector, navigator,
P/O Ernest Maurice Hollowell, wireless operator,
P/O Kenneth Joseph Brown, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1821LT on an operation to Cologne. On return to base, and while preparing to land, the port outer engine burst into flames and the port inner lost power. The pilot managed to gain 100 feet and five of the crew bailed out before the Halifax crash landed at 2357LT in Kirby Wiske, 6 km northwest of Soweby. The air gunner, an American, was among the five who bailed out, but he struck the ground before his parachute had full deployed and was killed.
Crew:
F/Lt R. H. Boosey, pilot,
Sgt D. C. Horner,
P/O P. E. Mitchell,
F/Sgt M. Samuels,
P/O P. R. Quance,
P/O D. W. Giblin,
F/O James Courtland Parker, air gunner. †