Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Cherry Hill: 1 killed
Date & Time:
May 3, 1940 at 0505 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1406
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
1560
YOM:
1939
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Dishforth at 1835LT on May 2 to bomb Oslo-Fornebu Airport. On the return flight, while cruising at night and in poor weather conditions, the crew became lost and was unable to locate an alternate airfield so the captain ordered the crew to bail out. Without pilot, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field. The bomber was destroyed while two crewmen were injured, three others unhurt. A day later, one of the survivor died from injuries sustained.
Crew (51st Squadron):
S/L Gerald Price Marvin, pilot,
P/O Albert John Oettle, pilot,
Sgt Guy Maxwell Brisbane, observer,
LAC Ernest Fisher, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC1 Angus Hepburn, air gunner. †
Crew (51st Squadron):
S/L Gerald Price Marvin, pilot,
P/O Albert John Oettle, pilot,
Sgt Guy Maxwell Brisbane, observer,
LAC Ernest Fisher, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC1 Angus Hepburn, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.
