Zone
Norfolk

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in East Winch: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1941 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1221
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Location:
East Winch
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 0251LT on an operation to Brest. While returning to base the next morning, it went out of control and crashed in East Winch, bursting into flames. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Edwin Joseph Milton, pilot,
Sgt David William Montague Thomas, pilot,
Sgt John Henry Eades, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Kennard, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Herbert Melvin Simmonds, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Henry Gray, air gunner.

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:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Digby – Marham – Bircham Newton
MSN:
K2352
Location:
East Winch
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
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:
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