Wellington's RP499 and RP565 near Topcliffe Airfield.
In the morning of the 17th of March 1948 a number of airmen were undertaking training exercises in seperate aircraft.
At 09.47hrs one Wellington (RP565)
had just taken off and was climbing away to join the circuit in a left hand turn. Another Wellington (RP499) was descending to
join the circuit and was probably
making a banked left turn. The two aircraft collided just north of the airfield and both aircraft broke up in the air. A large part of
one landed on the Sgt's Mess inside the Camp and a large part of the other crashed into a field afew hundred yards away. The Mess sustained
serious damage to it but there were no casualties on the ground. Sadly all eight airmen (four on each aircraft) were killed in the incident.
Their names however have not been traced to actually who was on which aircraft as the station record of this was not completed. Which aircraft
hit the mess is also not 100% confirmed.
The accident was put down to neither aircraft's pilot being able to see the other. Here after it was recommended that the seat
next to the pilot should be occupied so that there could be a lookout on the blind (right) side. This was a known Wellington quirk but was not looked
at during Wartime flying.
Pilot (of RP499) - F/Lt Franciszek Kula MM RAF P2204, aged 34, originally from W.Bukowiec, Poland. Buried Newark Cemetery, Notts.
Pilot (of RP565) - Pilot II Colin Bass RAF 1603236, aged 25, of High Wycombe, Bucks. Buried West Wycombe, Bucks.
The other six airmen were....
Signaller II Walter E L Howell RAF 1023588, aged 27, of Bargoed, Glamorgan. Buried Bedwellty Churchyard, Argoed, Monmouth.
Signaller II Arthur E Highman RAF 1333571, aged 25, of Peckham, London. Buried Norwood Cemetery, West Norwood.
F/Lt William J Jones RAF 153310, aged 25, of Lambeth, London. Buried Topcliffe Cemetery, Yorkshire.
F/Lt Robert Sneddon Laird RAF 149193, aged 31, of Falkirk, Stirlingshire. Buried Bo'ness Cemetery, West Lothian.
F/Lt Harry Corelius New RAF 165262, aged 26, of Smethwick, Staffs. Buried Uplands Cemetery, Smethwick, Staffs.
F/Lt John Edge Kerslake RAF 182652, aged 24, of Rainworth, Notts. Buried Topcliffe Cemetery.
I would also like to thank Mr David Wiltshire,
cousin of PII Colin Bass for the photograph above and I hope the information shown on the webpage and other source documents were of interest
to him and his family. Colin's older brother
Geoffrey Bass was a member of the RAF in the War and served in Bomber Command. prior to his death Colin had served at Driffield in a similar piloting role
to trainees with 10 ANS.
I would also like to thank Ms Margaret Astur for her contact and allowing this photograph of her uncle Arthur Highman.
F/Lt Kerslake's gravestone at Topcliffe Cemetery, Yorkshire. The other airmen were buried by their families with the exception of F/Lt Kula
who was buried at Newark with a large number of his Countrymen.
In September 2008 Ken Reast, myself, Albert Pritchard, Dick Barton and David Thompson located one of the crash sites - the aircraft
which came down just outside the camp boundary, this is shown in the centre of the photograph above and infront of the brown muddy area. Small remains
were found but enough to confirm the site. Showing photographs of the other site (which is still a military establishment) would perhaps not
be a good idea. I would like to thank the landowner for allowing this visit.
A couple of buckles found at the crash site.
F/Lt Kula's life is still being researched, as is his Military Medal, which suggests he was in the Army at the time of its awarding.
His flying hours at his death
show that he had flown for some time although at just shy of 600hrs on the Wellington with a further 500hrs on other types
this suggests he had some Wartime fyling experience. As well as being buried at Newark he is commemmerated on a memorial plaque
in Tivetshall St. Mary, Norfolk. I would also like to thank Ms Julie Savory for contacting me regarding F/Lt Kula. he is commemerated on a plaque in Tivetshall St. Mary
Church, Norfolk and there is a suggestion that he was either based nearby or had become friendly and may have even married the vicar's daughter
during the War.
Some years ago when just begining in this whole research I was contacted by a relation of Arthur Highman,
Ms Margaret Astur. I would like to thank her for contacting me and
at the time information I had on this incident was only very vague. Since then this information has grown and I would
be happy to share this but have lost her contact details. However from an internet search it transpires that Arthur served in 49 Sqdn during the War
and completed 30 Ops before being posted to the Middle East. It is believed that the crash in which he lost his life at Topcliffe was his first
as an instructor at Topcliffe.
