Wiltshire

The aircraft was assigned to the Glider Pick-Up Training Flt, whose role was to train crews in the 'snatch take-off method for retrieving gliders. Those on board were mostly returning to their base in Leicester, on completion of the course of instruction at Zeals. The aircraft took off at 1523LT in conditions of broken cloud, with some patches down to 100 feet and generally overcast, a westerly wind at 10 mph and visibility of 1 to 2 miles at ground level. The pilot made a quarter circuit of the airfield and then set course to the north-east. Three minutes later, whilst flying in and out of the broken cloud and whilst in level flight, the aircraft flew into a clump of 60 foot tall beech trees on top of a knoll. The impact ripped 10 feet off the port wing and the aircraft rolled to port, hit two more trees and then impaled itself on a cluster of four mature trees, caught fire and disintegrated, scattering wreckage over a distance of 300 yards on the far side of the knoll. Destruction of the aircraft was complete but investigation revealed the engines to have been at a high power setting on impact.
Crew:
F/Lt Reed Tilton Hyde, pilot,
F/O James Cassells Howden, pilot,
F/O Gerard Jean Guay, wireless operator,
F/O Mervyn Esmond Llewellyn Scovell, navigator.
Passengers:
F/Sgt Alan Geoffrey Shaddick, pilot,
F/Sgt John Ogilvy Allen, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Leslie Daniel Slipper, pilot,
F/Lt Thomas Arthur Evans, pilot,
F/Lt Alan James Roberts, pilot,
F/O Sidney Graham Williams, navigator,
F/Sgt Donald Grant, navigator,
F/Sgt Maxwell Vernon Gilder,
F/Sgt James Ross, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Ronald Edward Jelfs, flight engineer,
F/Lt Douglas Elliott Turnbull, wireless operator,
F/Lt John Heywood, equipment officer,
Cpl Kenneth Stanley Anderson,
LAC Reginald Ernest Suggars,
LAC Walter James Colby,
F/Lt Frank Joseph Plant, navigator.
Source: http://ww2talk.com/

The crew was on his way to RAF Grove, Oxfordshire, but a landing was impossible due to poor visibility. The aircraft was diverted to Exeter Airport but again, landing was not possible due to marginal weather conditions. The crew continued to RAF Ramsbury and on final approach, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area. Three crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Crew:
1st Lt Benjamin A. Taylor, pilot, †
P/O Willard Leutenegger, copilot, †
T/Sgt John J. Vojcik, crew chief, †
Daniel V. B. Riley, assistant to the crew chief,
Charles A. Kdlak, radio operator.
Source & photo:
http://www.ramsburyatwar.com/crashes/c47ramsbury.htm

On approach to RAF Castle Combe, the aircraft stalled, hit an electric pole and crashed short of runway. Both crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

On the morning of Saturday 11th March 1944, during a routine glider tow training mission, a Horsa glider (LG891) became detached from its tow plane and landed in a large ploughed field just north of the small village of Axford. The pilot of the C-47 tow plane, Major Donald Bradley (who was also commanding officer of the 83rd Troop Carrier Squadron), inspected the field and decided that it would be possible to pull the glider out. He flew the short distance back to Ramsbury airfield, the squadron's home station, and picked up a new towrope. During the afternoon of the same day he returned to the field. Flying with him was 1st. Lt. Gaylord Strong, co-pilot; Captain Lee Gillette, 83rd Squadron Flight Surgeon; S/Sgt. Charles Dudenhoef, Crew Chief, and Lieutenant's Kenneth Weber and Robert Frank who were to act as the glider's pilot and co-pilot respectively. After flying low over the field several times Major Bradley landed the plane without difficulty and attached the new towrope. Meanwhile ‘Doc’ Gillette stationed an ambulance at the southern end of the field. The field was only 2,600 feet in length, it had been recently ploughed and chain harrowed and sloped in a southerly direction towards the valley floor. A road and an electric power line ran along its southern boundary and, at the time of take off, there was a 20 mph tail wind! There followed a lengthy discussion between the men present as to the feasibility of pulling the glider out of the field. Despite doubts expressed by others Major Bradley was confident that the task could be easily accomplished. The crew chief was given the option of remaining on the ground, which he chose, and his place in the aircraft was taken by Captain Gillette. All three men then clambered aboard the C-47 aircraft, Major Bradley sat in the left-hand cockpit seat, Lt. Strong on his right and ‘Doc’ Gillette below the Astral Dome. Both the glider pilots had installed themselves in the Horsa and were awaiting the signal to go. The brakes on the C-47 were released and the plane slowly picked up speed. As it became airborne Major Bradley realized that he was not going to clear the power cables and pulled back on the stick, causing the tail wheel to dig into the field. The plane then stalled before pitching into the ground, eventually coming to a rest in the River Kennet. The fuselage had broken in two and was facing in the direction from which it had come. Fortunately there was no fire. The glider pilot, although unable to see the tow aircraft through a cloud of dust, saw the flash of sparks as the C-47 hit the power cables and cut loose, before gliding across the valley to another field for a safe landing. Major Bradley suffered serious head injuries and died one hour later. Lt. Strong was also badly injured and died two days later in Burdrop hospital near Swindon. ‘Doc’ Gillette suffered severe damage to his back and was hospitalized for over a month, but eventually returned to his duties and remained with the group until the end of the war.
Source: http://www.ramsburyatwar.com/crashes/c47axford.htm

The crew was performing a parachute training flight in coordination with a formation of 49 other aircraft. While approaching RAF Ramsbury, the weather conditions worsened and the visibility was poor due to clouds at low height and snow falls. The pilots missed the runway and were unable to locate the airfield so the aircraft continued to the south. Few minutes later, the aircraft hit trees and crashed in a field located in Horsehall Hill Farm, near Chisbury, south of RAF Ramsbury. All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lieutenant Lloyd Sloan, pilot,
2nd Lieutenant Richard Clark, copilot,
Sergeant Harold Pope, radio operator.
Passengers:
Harry S. Scott, paratrooper,
Lawrence H. Ward, paratrooper.

While performing tactical maneuvers during a training sortie, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in Ashley Walk, north of Amesbury. All six crew members were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Crew from the 617th Squadron.

Crashed on landing. No casualties.

The crew was completing a local training sortie at RAF Netheravon when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near the airbase. The pilot was killed and the observer was seriously injured. He died the next day from injuries sustained.
Crew:
F/O Ronald Frank Thain, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Walter Henry Rawlings, observer.

During the take off run, the aircraft swerved on runway, veered off and eventually collided with a hangar. While the aircraft was destroyed, there was no casualties.

The crew departed RAF Boscombe Down on a test flight. En route, the starboard engine failed, forcing the crew to feather the propeller. At an altitude of 500 feet, the crew initiated a right turn when the right wing dropped. The airplane entered a stall and crashed in a field. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Walker Caston, pilot,
P/O John Cobean Fisher, navigator,
F/Sgt David Lewis Mullins, wireless operator.