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 airplane departed RAF Leeming at 0009LT on an operation to Aachen. It was badly shot about by a German fighter and, on return to base, the Halifax with its bomb load intact was abandoned, crashing onto a hillside and exploding at Arden Hall near Kepwick. All parachuted to safety, except the pilot who broke a leg.
Crew (408 Sq):
F/O Donald Thomas Bain, pilot,
Sgt James Joseph Connolly, flight engineer,
Sgt Ernest Henry Wood, navigator,
P/O Philip John Ashworth Madson, bomb aimer,
Sgt George Warburton Acorn, wireless operator,
Sgt John Irvin Labow, air gunner,
Sgt Willard Melvin Halken, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 0008LT on an operation to Aachen. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Drunen. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew (408 Sq):
F/O Alan Osborn Smuck, pilot, †
Sgt John Foggon, flight engineer, †
F/O James John Kelly, navigator,
Sgt Bryce Domigan, bomb aimer,
Sgt Robert Barneveld, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Douglas George McKay, air gunner, †
W/O David Lloyd George Brown, air gunner, †

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2341LT on July 13 on an operation to Aachen. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed on the east bank of the Waal River in Dreumel. All seven crew members became PoW.
Crew (427 Sq):
Sgt Michael Edward Sobkowicz, pilot,
W/O Stanley William Bryant, flight engineer,
Sgt Robert Thomas Hayes, navigator,
Sgt Walter Herbert Green, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Frederick Hutchings, wireless operator,
Sgt John Harold Brown, air gunner,
Sgt Joseph Richard Roland Poudrier, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2236LT on July 9 on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. The exact circumstances and the location of the crash remains unknown but it is believed that the bomber was shot down by the German Flak over the target area and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O John William Richardson, pilot,
F/O Hector Beattie Lancaster, pilot,
Sgt William Robert Bryans, flight engineer,
F/Sgt John James Stefanchuk, navigator,
F/Sgt George Vivian Vincent Reid, bomb aimer,
Sgt Joseph Mannix MacDonald, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Henry Colin McClung, air gunner,
Sgt James William Sturgess, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2241LT on July 9 on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Kupferdreh, 9 km southeast of Essen. Three crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Thomas Roland Mellish, pilot, †
Sgt John Stamers Pickering, flight engineer,
Sgt William Howard Plowman, navigator,
F/O Eric Crouch, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Asa Nelson Pixley, wireless operator,
F/Sgt William Ronald Prentice, air gunner, †
Sgt Wilfred George Willis, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2244LT on an operation to Gelsenkirchen but the airspeed indicator failed and the Halifax crashed as the pilot tried to abandon the takeoff procedure. All seven crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/Sgt A. R. Grubert, pilot,
Sgt J. G. Herron, flight engineer,
P/O C. L. Carrigan, navigator,
Sgt W. A. McCulloch, bomb aimer,
P/O W. D. Folder, wireless operator,
Sgt R. O. Lumgair, air gunner,
Sgt F. H. Hoyle, air gunner.