Kranich glider at Pickering.
The 1958 RAF Gliding and Soaring Association championships took place at South Cerney, near Cirencester from
17th to 26th May 1958. Twenty two aircraft and 175 association members were entered into the competition where
pilots used each of the days to compete to fly the greatest distance from South Cerney. On one of the days
the crew of this glider set out from South Cerney, Glocestershire at 12.30hrs, almost certainly towards the
latter end of the date period. They landed at Edgehill, Warwickshire some time later and after a short period
of time on the ground there they received an aero-tow and were airborne again. They headed north-east but while over North
Yorkshire they made an attempt at landing the glider on Pickering's cricket pitch after they encountered a thunder storm
in the area. During the attempted landing the aircraft skimmed over power lines and then clipped telephone lines which
run over the edge of the cricket field. The glider made a crash landing on the cricket square damaging the skids and making three
gouges in the wicket. The weekends cricket fixtures were cancelled. The two crew were uninjured.
Earlier in the week the first named pilot had won a prize for the greatest distance in a Slingsby Sedbergh glider. He is
listed in Flight Magazine as flying with the "Moonraker Club".
Pilot - S/Ldr Joseph George Croshaw AFC RAF (55139).
Passenger - F/Lt E W Clark RAF, of RAF Leeming.
Joseph Croshaw received his commission as P/O on probation (emergency) on 5th December 1943 and rose through
the rank of F/O (war subs) on an unknown date but probably six months later to F/Lt (war subs) on 5th December 1945.
He remained in the RAF post-war initially taking the rank of F/O but climbing again. As F/Lt he was
awarded the Air Force Cross on 1st January 1952. He rose to S/Ldr on 1st July 1954 and later to W/Co on 1st July 1960 but retired
at his own request on 1st June 1969. He had taken part in RAF gliding for a number of years around the late-1950s and early-1960s.
An RAF Officer of the same name served with 96 Squadron in the 1950's and may be the same person.
F/Lt Clarke's full identity is not yet known, he was a flying instructor at Leeming in 1957 and took a lead role in forming the
gliding club there. He may have been known by the name "Nobby" Clarke.