Anson L7924 near Hartforth, Richmond.
On 16th October 1940 the crew of this No.14 Operational Training Unit aircraft were on the return leg of a navigation exercise back to Cottesmore from the Carlisle area. The aircraft was seen to fly low over Gilling West heading towards Hartforth and with one engine stopped and the other failing. Soon after passing over Gilling West the second engine stopped and the pilot was probably lining up a field to make a forced landing when witnesses saw both engines fire up and the aircraft dive into the ground from around 100-150 feet near Hartforth at 15.15hrs. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash and all five young airmen on board were killed instantly.
I thank Mr Tony Blades for contacting me in August 2013 and for his recollections of what his family had told him about this incident. His sister was at school in Gilling West and saw the aircraft fly over, his father was in the garden of his home in Hartforth and watched the aircraft approach and then crash. Both his mother and father then made their way to the crash site to see what they could do, and upon seeing an airman in the gun turret his father attempted to rescue him but had already died. In the weeks that followed the Air Ministry wrote to his father to criticise him for disturbing the wreckage of all things! There is a suggestion that a wing of the aircraft had clipped a tree just prior to the crash on Hartforth Hill Flatts and that visibility was reported as being poor at the time.
Pilot - Sgt Sidney John Howard RAF (566350), aged 24. Buried Nettlesham Churchyard, Lincolnshire.
Pilot - Sgt Arthur Hurst RAFVR (745670), aged 21. Buried Upper Tean Churchyard, Staffordshire.
Pilot - Sgt Stanley Robert Sumner RAFVR (748246), aged 20. Buried Luton General Cemetery, Bedfordshire.
Wireless Operator - Sgt Thomas Huntley Todd RAF (640677), aged 20. Buried Crook and Willington Cemetery, Durham.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Cyril Murray RAF (553919), aged 18. Buried St.Helens Cemetery, Lancashire.
Cyril Murray was born on 28th July 1922 at St.Helens, Lancashire and was the son of Frank and Lily (nee Middlehurst) Murray. His grave is next to Battle of Britain pilot P/O Norman Sutton of 72 Squadron who also died in October 1940 (whos gravestone photograph I show below).
Sidney Howard was born on 5th February 1916 at Malden, Essex and was the son of Arthur Edward and Minnie Hilda (nee Gibbons) Howard.
His younger brother Kenneth Lionel Howard also served in the RAF during WW2, being awarded the DFM with 44 Squadron in 1944.
Arthur Hurst was born on 2nd November 1918 at Longton, Staffordshire and was the son of Joseph and Florence (nee Blood) Hurst. The family lived at Tean.
Stanley Sumner was born on 1920 at Chorley, Lancashire and was the son of Robert and Edith Ellen (nee Fowler) Sumner. The family later moved to Luton, Bedfordshire.
Thomas Todd was born on 31st July 1920 at Willington, Durham and was the son of Raymond and Ethel (nee Sayer) Todd.
Anson L7924 was built to contract 690658/37 by A.V. Roe Ltd, at Newton Heath and was awaiting collection in April 1938. It was taken on charge by 6 FTS at Netheravon shortly afterwards. On 26th August 1938 it moved with this unit to Little Rissington and on 3rd September 1939 the unit re-designated as 6 SFTS. On 8th April 1940 it transferred to 14 OTU at Cottesmore when this unit formed. Following the crash near Richmond on 16th October 1940 Cat.W/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was written off.