| But For a Few Minutes More - Analysis of a Mid Air Collision | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flight Sergeant Joseph Spring, son of Frank and Elizabeth Warren Spring of Manchester is buried at Oxford (Botley) cemetery, Grave 182. Plot1/2. Although Joseph Spring’s age is given as 18 on his headstone, his family believe that he was in actual fact aged 21.His service number suggests he joined the air force between April and October 1941.
Aged 30, son of George James and Eva Rosina Collins and husband of Linda Louisa May Collins of White Waltham. Buried at White Waltham (St. Mary) Churchyard, Berks. Grave8. New ground. North of Church, Row E. Sergeant William Ramsay Aged 22, Son of William Halkett and Davidina Ramsay of 9, Stirling Park, Dundee. Buried at Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Grave 183.Plot1/2. William Halkett Ramsay is mentioned on the City of Dundee, Second World War Roll of Honour. Sergeant Thomas Hewitt Aged 23, Son of Thomas and Mary Ellen Hewitt of Runcorn, Cheshire. Buried at Runcorn Cemetery in Cheshire, Grave 9, and Section 8. Sergeant John Bone Aged 22, Son of Sidney and Florence Bone of Watford, Herts. Buried at Watford North Cemetery, Hertfordshire Grave 472, and Sec.B.Cons.
Sergeant William Bruce Aged 22, son of William and Bella Bruce, husband of Violet Bruce of Ipswich, Suffolk. Buried at Dunfermline Cemetery. Grave 7821. Eastern Division.
Aged 29, Husband of Gladys Estcourte of Norwich. Buried at Norwich Cemetery, Norfolk Grave 484 Sec. 54.
In this undated photo with a crew in front of Stirling P for Peter,the pilot isn’t Joseph Spring.It is unknown if the rest of the crew in this line up are the crew named in this tribute apart from Estcourte and Collins. |
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Wellington X LN 660/O - No.11 Operational Training Unit Wellington X code 2-14 No. LN 660/0 "O" – Orange. Group 92. Wellington X LN 660/0 took off from base at 20.05 for a routine two and a half hour Night Cross Country Exercise - a training flight that involved navigation exercises with a fully operational crew .F/O Lyon was duty staff pilot instructor of Wellington X LN 660 "O"-Orange. These were usually the longest training flights (bombing, air to air firing and taking off/landing exercises were flown on shorter ranges), and so saw a high number of losses, either due to mechanical problems or the crew getting lost and hitting high ground out of track. An air force investigation report showed that the Stirling was way off course for its base at Tuddenham in Suffolk. F/O Lyon (Staff Pilot) and his crew were returning to base at 22.35, and were on their finals for landing, when they collided with Stirling EH 989 of 90 Squadron. After the collision, the Wellington lost height rapidly making them too low to bale out, the aircraft burst into flames and crashed into a nearby field. Being wartime, no lights were allowed except in an emergency. The Wellington crashed half a mile east of Quainton Road railway station, One and a half miles NE of Westcott, killing all eight crewmembers.
No.11 Operational Training Unit, RAF 92 Group (Westcot, Bucks) 11 Operational training Unit was formed at Bassingbourne on the 8th April 1940 as part of 6 Group. Its role was training Bomber crews on night missions. From December 1941 to February 1942 it operated from Tempsford while waiting for runways to be constructed at Bassingbourne. On the eleventh of May 1942 it was transferred to 91 Group, before moving to Westcott and 92 Group in October 1942 and then reverting to 91 Group on the fifteenth of June 1945.During 1945, the hangars were cleared to welcome home prisoners of war, as part of Operation Manna. It was closed to Military flying in August 1945, before being disbanded on the eighteenth of September 1945.
The Crew of Wellington X LN 660/O F/O James Henry Scott Lyon
Born on the 27th June 1922,Sale,Victoria, Australia, F/O James Henry Scott Lyon, D.F.C., RAAF aged 21, son of James and Muriel Emma Lyon of 73 Foster St.,Sale, Victoria, Australia , brother of(Margaret) Peg and Gwen, and husband of Margaret Lyon of Brighton, Victoria, Australia. Born on the 27th June 1922,Sale,Victoria, Australia, F/O James Henry Scott Lyon, DFC., RAAF aged 21, son of James and Muriel Emma Lyon of 73 Foster St.,Sale, Victoria, Australia , brother of Margaret, Peg and Gwen, and husband of Margaret Lyon of Brighton, Victoria, Australia. He married Miss Margaret Bruce at Newark on 23rd November 1943.His leave over, he was posted to 11 OTU and he and his Scottish wife lived nearby in a rented cottage, 81 Station Rd, Quainton, where they were expecting their first child. F/O Lyon DFC, RAAF was buried with full military honours a few days after the crash in the little town of Coldstream, at Lennel Old churchyard, Berwickshire. N.E.Extension. Grave 1500, in the plot belonging to his young widows family. On the 9th September F/O Lyon’s son Rowland James Lyon was born at Coldstream.
On 11th June 1943, F/O Lyon and his crew flew Lancaster EE136 a Mark 111-"Spirit of Russia" to Dusseldorf on its first operation." Spirit of Russia" originally operated with 9 Sqdn., from June to October 1944, before joining 189 Sqdn. This Lancaster went on to record 109 operational missions before making its last trip on 2nd/3rd March 1945. Lyon and his crew were with EE136 till September 1943. D.F.C. was awarded to F/O Lyon on 10.12.1943, while serving with 9 squadron for completing a tour of operationss against many German targets while showing courage and leadership. At the age of 21, he then served as an instructor (training new pilots prior to what would have been his second tour). F/O Lyon was likely sent to 11 OTU after flying numerous sorties with 9 Squadron during 1943. F/O James "Jimmy" Lyon is also mentioned on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour located at panel 126 in the Commemorative Area.
During his time flying Spirit of Russia at 9 Squadron, Bardney, one of the most important operations for Jimmy Lyon and his crew was to Peenemunde for Operation Hydra on the night of 17/18th August 1943. Spirit of Russia’s last op there was to Mannheim, when F/O Lyon and his crew brought her back from Mannheim, with holes all over her and with over a year of operational work and over a hundred ops, the crew finished their tour with a raid on Kassel on 21/22 October 1943. After that, she became a spare aircraft, being flown by various crews before being transferred to 189 squadron which reformed at Bardney in October 1944. Her final and 109th sortie was with F/Lt F.J.Abbott in a raid on Karlsruhe on the night of February 2/3rd 1945. The veteran Lancaster was then transferred to 20 Maintenance Unit as Cat.E/FB, denoting damage of such severity that the aircraft was to be written off. But her usefulness was not yet over and after modest repairs she was allotted to No1 Radio School, Cranwell on May 2nd 1946 with instructional airframe identity 5918M. Sadly “Spirit of Russia” ended up derelict at the RAF’s School of Fire Fighting, Sutton on Hull, Yorks around 1954, joining hundreds of other wartime aircraft as fire hulks at various airfields. A sad end to a magnificent Lancaster. Flight Sergeant Donald Victor Roy Francis RNZAF.41158
The son of William and Georgina Francis of Wanganui, Wellington, New Zealand, he is buried at Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Grave 178.Plot1/2. Flt. Sgt. Francis enlisted in the RNZAF as a bandsman on 3.1.1941.Soon after enlistment, however he applied for aircrew training and was posted to the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua on 23.7.1942. On 5.9.1942 he was posted to No 1 Elementary Flying Training School for elementary flying training, and on 24.12.1942, he embarked for Canada for training under the Empire Training Scheme. Shortly after arrival in Canada, Flt.Sgt. Francis was posted to No. 7 Service Flying Training School, Fort Macleod, Alberta where on 14th May 1943; he was awarded his flying badge and was promoted from LAC to Sgt. He was promoted to Flt.Sgt. on 14th November 1943. Meanwhile on 25th May 1943; he had proceeded to No 1 “Y” Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation for the United Kingdom. Flt.Sgt. Francis arrived at No 12 Personnel Reception Centre, Brighton on 2nd July 1943 and was then posted to No 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Banff, Scotland on 3rd August 1943.While at Banff he carried out a blind flying course with No 1512 Beam Approach Training Flight which was stationed there. On 28th December 1943,he was posted to No 11 OTU, first at Oakley and later at Westcott Bucks. At these stations Flt. Sgt. Francis crewed up and completed his training on Wellingtons. He had 392 hours as a pilot. Flying Officer Gerald Harman Gilbert, RNZAF. 429029.
The son of Lionel Wallis and Castillia Amelia Gilbert of Kelburn, Wellington, New Zealand he is buried at Oxford, Botley,plot 1/2,grave 176. Flying Officer Gerald Gilbert enlisted in the RNZAF on 1.8.1942, serving at Hamilton and Gisborne until the 26th November when he was posted to Rotorua to commence his initial training as an air observer. On completion he embarked for Canada on 12.2.1943, where he was posted to No 5 Air Observers School, Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was commissioned to Pilot Officer on 23.7.1943 and embarked for the United Kingdom on 4.8.1943, where he was initially posted to No 4 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit as a navigator on Ansons. His next posting was to No 11 OTU where he trained on Wellingtons and was promoted to Flying Officer on 23.1.1944. He had 189 hours as a navigator. Flight Sergeant Arthur Frederick Goold.RNZAF.414873.
Sergeant Robert Reginald Kemp RAFVR 1397621
The son of William Edward and Katherine Kemp of Pentney, Norfolk. Buried at Pentney (St. Mary Magdalene) Churchyard, Pentney, and Norfolk. Robert Kemp worked on a farm and joined up when he was just 18, and was an Air cadet at 42F Kings Lynn, Air training Corps (which has been in continued existence since 1939). Robert was one of 6 children and the middle son of 3. His older brother William joined the Royal Marines in 1937 and his younger brother, Kenneth, became a gunner in 215 Squadron SEAC, as part of a Liberator crew. Robert first did his wireless training, waiting before being able to do his gunnery training, by serving as a ground wireless operator for about four months.
Robert’s brother Kenneth remembers the circumstances of his brother’s death and that although Robert was a qualified Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner he was in the front turret as an air gunner that night: “I joined the RAF a year after Robert and had just finished my training when I received a small parcel on my birthday (15th March), my brother Robert, had sent me his chocolate ration as a birthday present. At 5pm, the following day, I had a message to report to the orderly room and was given a telegram sent by my mother stating that Robert had been killed. I was given 4 days leave. Travelling from South Wales via London to Norfolk, I arrived the next day and at 1pm had to watch the porters take my brothers coffin from the guards van. The funeral was the following day and 11 OTU was represented by W/O Skinner who told me that he had attended 3 more funerals to do with this particular crash.” An except from The King’s Lynn News and Advertiser (Dec 06): “The Peace was stirred in Pentney, Norfolk by the haunting sounds of the Last post as cadets from Kings Lynn’s’ Air Training Corps honoured one of its former members. During research into 42F Squadrons wartime years it was found that the sole Commonwealth War Grave in the village churchyard was for former Air Cadet Robert Kemp. Cadets and staff of 42F Squadron were joined by Sgt Kemp's sister Jean and brother Ken for the remembrance service and laying of poppy crosses at his grave.”
Flight Sergeant George Hudson. RAFVR 1080378 Son of George Henry and Annie Hudson of Thornhill, Rotherham, Sth.Yks. Buried at Rotherham (Masborough) cemetery. Grave 175.Plot D.
Sergeant Reginald Dennis Barlow RAFVR 1807428 Son of Mrs F. Simpson of Balsall Heath, Birmingham. Buried at Birmingham (Brandwood end) Cemetery. Grave 879. Section B.3.
Flying Officer Rennie Taylor RAFVR 152830 Son of Frank and Ethel Taylor of Keighley,Yks. Rennie Taylor enlisted in the RAFVR on 10.10.1941 and mobilised 23.3.1942, No 1 Recruiting Centre.17 Initial Training Wing on 11.4.1942.Training in Canada at no 35 Elementary Flying Training school on 18.11.1942.No 31 Bombing and gunnery School 5.3.1943.No 33 Air Navigation School 12.6.1943.he was awarded his air bombers badge on 23.7.1943 and commissioned as Pilot Officer in the General duties Branch, RAFVR on the same day. He returned to No 6 Advanced Flying Unit, United Kingdom on 2.11.1943 and No 11 OTU on 28.12.1943 for air bomber training. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 23.1.1944. Buried at Keighley (Oakworth) Cemetery. Grave 271.Section E.
The Collision and its Aftermath The Air Accident Report cited the cause of the mid-air collision as the Wellington being off track during its cross country exercise, the lone recommendation was "Training aircraft must be warned not to fly in vicinity of routes of Bomber stream." In reality, the night skies above Britain were filled with aircraft on training exercises, departing and returning from operations against the enemy as well as aircraft in distress or being diverted to other airfields, making the recommendations of the report impossible to implement. Eye witness account of the Wellington crash: A Quainton man, Mr Jim Bailey, who had been working in the railway stations signal box on the night of the crash recalled seeing the blazing Wellington flying low over Quainton and believed that F/O Lyon was trying to avoid hitting the station yard, which was full of trucks loaded with fuel. The young pilot managed to miss not only the railway yard but also the house in Station road, Quainton where his pregnant wife was sleeping. Mr Bailey and a Mr Frank Wheeler watched the aircraft crash and explode in a nearby field by the railway line. In 1978 following information given to them by Bruce Blanche (F/O Lyon’s nephew), the Chiltern Historical Aircraft Preservation Group conducted a six-week dig at the site of the Wellington crash. They uncovered an engine, parachutes and other pieces of the aircraft. The remains of “O”-Orange have been thoroughly cleaned and the preservation group hopes that they will be displayed in a private museum which is to be opened at Booker.
In a letter to Bruce Blanche (nephew of F/O/ Lyon), Mr. P. Bristow of Cheadle, Cheshire, ex Captain Fitter, D flight 11 O.T.U. describes his acquaintance with Flying Officer "Benny" Lyon who he was with at 11O.T.U.,Westcott and in the following letter describes the events of the night of the fifteenth of March 1944. His recollections exemplify how the margin between meeting or avoiding disaster can be traced to bare minutes. "I was a fitter in the same flight as Benny Lyon which was "D" Flight .I never knew whether Benny was his real name or just a nick name that the other crews had given him. I never cease to think about him, because in spite of having been in the R.A.F. for 12 years and experiencing the loss of many good friends during my service, I felt Benny’s death very deeply indeed, and still do after so many years. The reason for this is because I was personally involved with the events immediately before he took off on his last flight, which are as follows. On this particular night I was the Senior Non Commissioned Officer in Charge of Night Flying. I think it was 1944, but cannot remember the month, and as my usual practice of taking over from the day party, I consulted the Form 700’s (maintenance logs for each aircraft). This was to establish how many aircraft I could put into service for that night’s ops. I selected the aircraft that had all been signed up as "serviceable" and then detailed the night party to carry out a final check. The time was 17.30 hours. The reason for this final check was to cover unknown incidents since the afternoon inspections, such as petrol bowsers fouling some part of the aircraft whilst filling up or something that could have happened whilst the armourers had been loading the bombs; these two items were always carried out after the aircraft was signed up as serviceable. The fitters, having made their final checks, then came to me with their reports. One of the aircraft that had faults was the one that Benny and his crew came for at 19.20 hrs. I was working on it at the time. Benny asked me how long it would be and I told him it would take me about 15 minutes, providing I had no snags. He said he could not wait as he had been instructed to take off promptly at 19.30 hours. I suggested he rang the Flight Commander (Squadron Leader Bennet) and inform him of the position and to see if he would extend the time a further few minutes. Benny came back to say this was impossible and that he had to go to another section to pick up another aircraft. Benny was down in the dumps about it because the aircraft he was taking was not dual control and as he was taking a pupil pilot he would be at a disadvantage. I climbed down off the Wellington and told Benny that I would have a word with him. The Flight Commander was sympathetic about it but said it was most urgent and that it had to be spot on 19.30 hours. I explained that I had not been satisfied with the port engine performance and also it had damage to the fuselage fabric. I assured him that it would not take longer than 5 minutes. It was by then 3 minutes from the deadline and so Benny and his crew had to take this other Wellington from the other flight. I told the Flight Commander how very disturbed I was that any of our crews should take an aircraft from another flight without it being checked by us. We always regarded our own crews as our own family, they belonged to us and we felt specially responsible for them. It was most unfortunate, and I told Benny how very sorry I was and he replied by saying that he appreciated that I was only doing my job. I would never allow an aircrew to go in an aircraft that was not one hundred percent airworthy. I saw Benny and his crew take off, and I had a very unsettled feeling, one that I had never experienced before in all my years in the RAF. I had a secret fear about it all. It was about 22.00 hours when the phone in the Flight Nisson Hut rang. I picked it up and it was the Flight Commander, I knew immediately it was bad news as he sounded upset. He said news had just come in that Benny and his crew had collided in mid-air with a Stirling but he was awaiting further news, there was a possibility that they may have bailed out and he said he would keep me informed as news came in. I could not wait for him to ring me, I was phoning him every two minutes and eventually we learnt the worst. The Wellington had exploded on hitting the ground and no trace of either aircraft or crew was found. I have been through all the "ifs" and "buts" a thousand times, but whatever I come up with won’t bring them back." Summary The letter of P. Bristow provides us with a timeline which was critical in order for two aircraft to be in the same position at the same time. Had the Flight Commander at 11 OTU allowed F/O Lyons to wait for an additional 5 minutes for the scheduled Wellington to be ready, the collision likely would not have taken place. The same is true of Stirling EH-989, if the crew had not received orders to divert to another airfield, (the reasons for such an order could be numerous) the lives of 14 young airmen could have been spared. |
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Credits: The article on F/O James Lyon would not have been possible without the invaluable in-depth research done by his nephew, Bruce Blanche (ex Sqdn.Leader R.A.F.) who also provided the photos of F/O Lyon and photos & maps of the crash site & other information. “Bomber Command War Diaries” by Middlebrook and Everitt; Jean Hunt; Kenneth Kemp & family of Robert Kemp; Michael A. Lister (Media & communications officer)-42F (Kings Lynn) Squadron Air Training Corp. for the photos taken at Pentney Churchyard; The family of Joseph Spring; The family of Arthur Estcourte; The family of George Collins; Commonwealth War Graves; Australian war memorial; Phil Corkill; Auckland Museum; Paul Cobb & Gabrielle Fortune; “For your tomorrow” by Errol Martyn; A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF & Allied Air Services since 1915; WW2 Ex RAF website; Ministry of Defence. Ron Mayhill, DFC-“Bombs on Target” (Christine Smith, Haynes publishing.) Permission must be sought from the author and families to copy/reproduce any text/photos from this article. Linda Ibrom 2007 |
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