On 30th November 1942 this 10 Squadron aircraft took off from Melbourne airfield at 14.15hrs so the crew could undertake a cross country training flight, just after the aircraft left the ground it climbed away normally to 300 feet, then made a steep turn to the left, stalled and fell to the ground. It crashed near Laytham Grange at the end of the runway. It was thought that the aircraft had suffered the rudder overbalance problem that effected early Halifaxes and resulted in a number of fatal crashes but the AIB investigated the incident and concluded that the crash occurred because the pilot made a steep turn at too low an altitude and stalled the aircraft. Three of this crew had only just survived the crash of Halifax R9383 in the Yorkshire Dales in September 1942 (detailed on this website here ), the last named is not in William Chorley's Bomber Command losses book but he was part of Willmott's crew and was almost certainly killed in this incident as he died on the same day.
Halifax W7871 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd., at Radlett. On 12th October 1942 it was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Melbourne. It was flown by F/Sgt Willmott on operational sorties during November 1942. As a result of the crash on 30th November 1942 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 30th November 1942.
Pilot - F/Sgt Edward John Willmott RAFVR (1380070), aged 21, of Binfield. Buried Binfield Cemetery, Berkshire (A/119).
Instructor - S/Ldr Gerald Spencer Barrett RAF (29001), aged 31, of Pembury, Kent. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Derick Arthur Dudley Soggee RAF (571587), aged 22, of Jhansi, India. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Navigator - Sgt Alan Frederick Flower RAFVR (1187916), aged 22, of Cosham, Portsmouth. Buried Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth, Hampshire (107/4/61).
Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick Charles Clarke RAFVR (1333700), aged 19, of Crinklewood. Buried Tottenham Cemetery, Middlesex (Park sec/2363).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Edward Arthur Marchant RAFVR (1377000), aged 30, of Hastings, Sussex. Buried Hastings Cemetery, Sussex (O/A/96).
Air Gunner - Sgt Douglas Arnold Bellerby RAFVR (1459372), aged 19, of Eccles, Lancashire. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Alfred Brewer RAFVR (1165987), aged 30, of Ringwood, Hampshire. Buried Ringwood Cemetery, Hampshire (Z/283).
The 10 Squadron ORB records this incident and states that Sgt Marchant and Sgt Bellerby were both on the books of 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at the time.
Edward Willmott's gravestone photograph was found on the internet and I credit "Clive" for uploading it. The spelling of his surname on his gravestone is incorrect. He survived the crash of Halifax R9383 on 20th September 1942 near the village of West End in the Washburn Valley.
Gerald Barrett was born in June 1911 in London and was working as an electrical engineer when he joined the RAF. He was granted a Short Service Commission as P/O on probation on 21st February 1930, he was posted to 1 FTS at Netheravon on 10th March 1930. In February 1931 he was posted to 33 Squadron at Bicester. He was confirmed in the Rank of P/O on 21st February 1931 and was awarded a Distinguished Pass having completed a course of Ab Initio training at No.1 FTS in May 1931. He was promoted to F/O on 21st August 1931 and on 11th November 1931 he was posted to 501 Squadron at Bristol. On 24th October 1933 he was posted to RAF Base Gosport and later to the School of Naval Co-operation Flying at Lee-on-the-Solent on 26th October 1934. Under the terms of his Short Service Commission his period of service was served and he relinquished his commission of F/O in the General Duties Branch of the RAF and he transferred to the Reserve on 21st February 1935.
He gained his Aviator's Certificate in the Royal Aero Club on 22nd November 1938 at the De Havilland Flying School (Cert.No.16634). He was called up for service when War broke out and on 1st December 1941 he was promotd to S/Ldr (temp).
Derick Soggee (shown back row, third left with arms folded) in India in a photograph found on the internet and his gravestone at Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire. He survived the crash of Halifax R9383 on 20th September 1942 near the village of West End in the Washburn Valley.
Alfred Brewer had survived the crash of Halifax R9383 on 20th September 1942 near the village of West End in the Washburn Valley. I thank Mr Andrew Goldsmith for kindly supplying the photograph of his and his wife's gravestone for inclusion.
The Alan Flower Memorial Prize is given at King's College London, in memory of Sgt Flower as he had attended the School of Natural Science from 1938 to 1940. I thank Kevin Wright for this photograph of his gravestone.