Digby | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

En route from RAF Wittering to Digby, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with limited visibility due to low patches of fog. Flying too low, the airplane collided with trees and crashed near RAF Cottesmore. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Fairgrieve Dorward, pilot,
F/O John Austin Strong, wireless operator.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Digby

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1941 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

P9247

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

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The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1820LT on February 11 on an operation to Hanover. On return, while flying above cloud, the crew observer Very lights which were being fired from Waddington. While attempting to get below the cloud baser, the airplane crashed at 0130LT near Digby Airfield. A crew was killed and five others were rescued.
Crew:
Sgt Fergus Francis Early, pilot, †
Sgt R. Warren,
Sgt Archer,
Sgt H. Chapman,
Sgt Cook,
Sgt MacDonald.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Digby: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 1, 1941 at 2225 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

T2517

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Swinderby - Swinderby

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The airplane departed RAF Swinderby at 1558LT on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base in the evening, it was shot down, probably by an enemy intruder, and crashed in Digby. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Stefan Floryanowicz,
P/O Marian Olszyna,
F/O Hieronim Kulbacki,
Sgt Jan Karol Heznowski,
Sgt Adam Marian Guzowski,
Sgt Ludwik Gachowski.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF at RAF Wellingore: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1376

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Digby - Wellingore

MSN:

8659

YOM:

1938

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On a night approach to RAF Wellingore, the airplane crashed and was destroyed. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Peter Sisman, pilot,
Sgt Andrew Reed, observer.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the pilot was blinded by searchlights when control was lost.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Digby: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1940 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

L4111

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

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The twin engine airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2018LT on March 7 on a patrol flight with a crew of four on board. On final approach to Digby Airport, while completing a last turn, the airplane went out of control and crashed. All four crew members were killed. Evidence suggests the crew has been engaged by the enemy as LAC Wood's body had sustained gun shot wounds.
Crew:
F/O D. C. G. Clinkard,
Sgt C. C. Hobbs,
Sgt R. P. Glasson,
LAC W. K. Wood.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF in Stockwith: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1452

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Digby - Digby

MSN:

8735

YOM:

1939

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The crew departed RAF Digby on a night anti-aircraft searchlight co-operation sortie. In unknown circumstances, the airplane crashed in Owlet Plantation, in Stockwith. A crew survived after he bailed out while two other occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Percy Don Walker, pilot, †
AC2 Benjamin France, observer, †
LAC Chrystall, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 504N near Digby: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1932

Type of aircraft:

Avro 504

Operator:

Registration:

K1815

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Digby - Digby

MSN:

K1815

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The pilot departed Digby on a solo training flight. In unknown circumstances, the single engine aircraft collided with another RAF aircraft registered F8812. Following the collision, the Avro entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a pasture between Bloxholme and Digby. The pilot was killed.

Crash of an Avro 504N in East Winch: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1932 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 504

Operator:

Registration:

K2352

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Digby – Marham – Bircham Newton

MSN:

K2352

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The pilot was performing his first solo flight from RAF Digby to RAF Bircham Newton with an intermediate stop at RAF Marham. Aircraft left RAF Digby at 1145LT bound for RAF Marham. On approach to Marham, at a height of 200-300 feet, he lost control of the aircraft that crashed in flames in a field. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire and the pilot was killed. The pilot A. J. Warford-Mein was a 23 years old Australian pupil who arrives at RAF Digby last January. He was fully competent, and the flight was authorized by the chief flying instructor, in addition to the pupil’s own instructor.

Probable cause:

Leslie Ruskin, a team man, employed at Home Farm, East Winch, which adjoins Station Farm, said that about 1.30 on Thursday afternoon, he and another man were working in a meadow when they saw an aeroplane hovering over a field nearby. It circled three times as if looking for a landing place. It turned towards Ashwicken and then came round into the wind and dropped suddenly in a nose dive. They ran towards it and saw it crash. He thought the machine was 200 or 300 feet up when it crashed. It was blazing when they got to it, and almost burnt up. They heard the sound of an explosion. The pilot’s body was in the middle of the flames and there was no sign of life at all. They had to wait until the flames died down before they could get the body out. He had noticed nothing wrong with the machine before it crashed, only that the pilot was looking for a landing. A very strong wind was blowing at this time and it had started to rain.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 504N in Ashby-de-la-Launde: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 2, 1931

Type of aircraft:

Avro 504

Operator:

Registration:

F8813

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Digby - Digby

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The crew departed RAF Digby on a training mission. En route, while completing a turn, the crew lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in a pasture. F/O Stewart Sinclair Mackay was killed and AC2 Josiah Swain was injured.

Crash of a Vickers FB.27 Vimy Commercial in Westwoodside: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1931

Type of aircraft:

Vickers FB.27 Vimy Commercial

Operator:

Registration:

F9178

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Brooklands – Digby

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The crew departed Brooklands Airport on a night delivery flight to Digby. On board were four crew members and the aircraft was coming out from the Vickers-Armstrong facilities at Brooklands Airport. En route, the crew apparently lost his orientation. The pilot reduced his altitude when the aircraft struck a bank and crashed in an open field. A crew member was injured while three others were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Geoffrey Maynard Edward Shaw, †
P/O John Edward Furlong Chapman, †
F/Sgt Alfred George Rogers, †
AC1 Cecil Alfred James Jones.

Probable cause:

An inquest was held at Westwoodside on January 13 on the bodies of Flt Lt G. M. E. Shaw, Pilot Officer J. E. F. Chapman and Flt Sgt A. G. Rogers who were killed on the night of January 11 during a flight from Brooklands to Digby. Aircraftman Cecil Jones, who was the only survivor of the accident, said that they were flying low in the bad light to try and read the name of the railway station. They ascended again and prepared to land on what appeared to be a green field. The aeroplane overshot this field and landed in a ploughed field. It struck a bank only about a foot high and turned up on its nose, crushing the three men who were in the front. Flying Officer H. Bailey said that Flight Lieutenant Shaw had lost his way. A verdict of misadventure was returned.

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