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 crew left RAF Waddington on a bombing mission to Hamburg. Following an uneventful mission, the crew was returning to his base when his was instructed by ground to divert to RAF Leeming. Later, the aircraft run out of fuel and crashed at Hawnby Hill, near Northallerton. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Frank Goheen Nelson, pilot,
Sgt Allan McKeen, flight engineer,
Sgt George Francis Done, navigator,
Sgt Alan Arthur Frederick Williams, navigator,
Sgt Henry Summers Jones, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Arthur William Butcher, air gunner,
Sgt Walter George Murton, air gunner.

While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing in an open field when the aircraft stalled and crashed. Three crew members were killed while four others were injured.
Sgt A. R. Moore, †
Sgt D. L. Thurlow,
L. R. Silver,
Sgt J. A. Ogden,
Sgt H. R. Stacey,
Sgt M. F. English, †
Sgt F. Walker. †

The airplane departed RAF Leeming in the evening of March 27 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Due to poor weather conditions over the target area, the crew was unable to locate Saint-Nazaire and returned to base. On the return leg, the airplane drifted off course. In low visibility over high ground, it impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area near Kirby Malzaerd, bursting into flames. The observer was killed and four other crew members were injured. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire.
Crew:
P/O James Arnold Harrison, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Wallace Paul Emile Louthood, pilot,
Sgt Douglas Murton Colledge, observer,
F/Sgt Michael O'Donovan-Fuller, wireless operator,
Sgt Andrew McArthur Waddell, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1816LT on an operation to Boulogne. While returning to base in the late evening, it stalled on final approach and crashed onto a house. Four crew members were killed while the wireless operator was seriously injured. He later died from injuries sustained. There were no casualties on the ground.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Lyndon Moore, pilot,
Sgt James Ernest Church, copilot,
Sgt Kenneth Clarence Edward Corke, observer,
F/Sgt Richard James Lewis, wireless operator,
Sgt Neil Shaw Smith, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leeming on an operation to Emden. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur James Pratley, pilot,
F/Sgt William Arthur Murphy,
P/O Derrick Bourchier Bailey,
F/Sgt James Eugene Gilfoy,
Sgt Edgar Cecil Reynolds.