Oxford V3957 at Leconfield airfield.
Earlier in the afternoon of 9th March 1942 the trainee pilot of this 15 (P)AFU aircraft had been given a navigation test with an instructor and they landed at Leconfield at 16.00hrs. At 16.15hrs the trainee was then tasked with flying a solo local map reading flight detailed to last an hour and towards the end of the hour flight he was to return to Leconfield and make a series of precautionary landings there. Oxford took off at 16.15hrs and the pilot undertook the first part of the training flight. At 16.40hrs Oxford V3957 graducally reduced height to eventually land. At the same time as this aircraft was coming in to land the pilot of Oxford V3912 was undertaking a landing on the same runway following a cross country training flight. Witnesses on the ground later stated that they could see both aircraft flying almost directly on top of each other and on a converging course. They then collided at around 15 feet above the ground and both aircraft crashed onto the airfield at 16.40hrs and skidded to a halt next to each other. It was later believed that neither pilots had seen the other aircraft as the other aircraft was in the blind spot of the other aircraft's pilot. The pilot of this aircraft died of his injuries.
Pilot - P/O William Arthur Dakers RCAF (J/8173), aged 19, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Leconfield Churchyard, Yorkshire.
P/O Dakers grave at Leconfield churchyard, Yorkshire. He was born on 17th June 1922 in Victoria, British Columbia and was the son of Joseph and Georgina Dakers (nee Gill). William was working as a bank clerk when he enlisted for RCAF service on 11th February 1941 in Vancouver. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 17th October 1941 and received his Pilot's Wings on the same date following training in Canada. He was posted to the UK soon after gaining his Wings. The CWGC database incorrectly listed the date of his death as being 9th February 1942 (as of March 2018 when this webpage was last updated).
Oxford V3957 was built to contract B.55347/39 by the Standard Motor Co. Ltd. at Canley and was awaiting collection in April 1941. After a period of MU storage it was taken on charge on 13th June 1941 by 15 SFTS at Kidlington. This unit began moving to Leconfield on 4th February 1942 and was re-designated as 15 (P)AFU on 1st March 1942. As a result of the crash on 9th March 1942 Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was written off.