On 27th June 1953 the two pilots on board this aircraft were cleared to undertake a dual instruction in aerobatics within a local flying area of the Woodvale area of Manchester as part of a flight with the Manchester University Air Squadron. The preferred area was near the coast. The aircraft took off from Woodvale at 09.10hrs and some 45 minutes later it was seen by botanical students on Malham Moor. The aircraft carried two slow and low rolls over this party and during the second pass and whilst inverted the nose dropped and struck the ground. The two airmen on the aircraft were sadly killed in the crash. What was later discovered was that the instructor worked as a lecturer at Manchester University and knew that the group of students were to be in the area of Malham Moor at the time of the him being in the air. The flight to go and over-fly them was talked about prior to take off but the pilot was only authorised to fly within fifteen miles of Woodvale airfield. The full crash investigation is currently available at the UK National Archives and I do not wish to directly copy from this but blame is always attributable, in this case the instructor was held to blame for this accident, being an error of judgement on his part. A discussion was over heard on the ground prior to take off between the two airmen; the student had expressed his reservations about the low flying which the instructor had planned. A tragic outcome.
Instructor Pilot - F/O Kenneth Bernard Vallance RAFVR (187365), aged 35, of Burnley, Lancashire. Cremated Anfield, Liverpool.
Pupil Pilot - F/O Frank Reddish RAFVR (205818), MUAS, aged 27, of Monton, Manchester. Buried Manchester ?
Kenneth Vallance was born on 15th January 1918 at Burnley, Lancashire. He served in the RAF in the Second World War, receiving a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (war subs) on 7th August 1944, rising to F/O (war subs) on 15th February 1945. He remained in the RAF Reserve after the War. I thank his family for contacting me in August 2011. His unit is recorded as being 19 RFS at the time of his death.
Frank Reddish was the son of Walter and Florrie (nee Seddon) Reddish and was born on 5th December 1925 in Lancashire. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 24th October 1951 and was promoted to F/O on 23rd April 1953.
My wife and I located the crash site in October 2009 thanks to the photographs shown in the accident report held in the UK National Archives.
A small fragment of the aircraft.