De Havilland Mosquito NF XIII HK401.
Shortly before 11 am on the 9th November 1943, De Havilland Mosquito NF XIII HK401 took off from RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire. Two minutes later a fault developed in the starboard engine, whilst the pilot fought for control the aircraft struck some farm buildings and burst into flames. Along with the two occupants of the aircraft, Alfred Bridgeman, 73 a farm worker was to loose his life.
The accident was witnessed by two farm workers, both were to give evidence at the Coroner's Inquest held on the 11th November 1943.
Harold Reginald Whitmarsh stated that;
" Just before 11 o'clock on Tuesday he was in the dairy at the back of the farmhouse when he heard a plane coming. He did not see it but it made a very loud noise. Then there was a crash, the plane crashing into the pumphouse a few yards from him. The plane and buildings were in flames at once. There were bullets and cannon shells coming out."
Whilst Edwin Albert Self described the scene as follows;
" At about 10:45 he was walking across the field to Rawlings Farm when he saw a plane looming up as if it were taking off from the ground. It appeared suddenly from the direction of the river, tipped twice and the third time it tipped, it cut right through the cowshed, it demolished a stable and pushed into the pumphouse, which crumpled up like a pack of cards. Immediately the plane struck it burst into flames."
The accident was witnessed by two farm workers, both were to give evidence at the Coroner's Inquest held on the 11th November 1943.
Harold Reginald Whitmarsh stated that;
" Just before 11 o'clock on Tuesday he was in the dairy at the back of the farmhouse when he heard a plane coming. He did not see it but it made a very loud noise. Then there was a crash, the plane crashing into the pumphouse a few yards from him. The plane and buildings were in flames at once. There were bullets and cannon shells coming out."
Whilst Edwin Albert Self described the scene as follows;
" At about 10:45 he was walking across the field to Rawlings Farm when he saw a plane looming up as if it were taking off from the ground. It appeared suddenly from the direction of the river, tipped twice and the third time it tipped, it cut right through the cowshed, it demolished a stable and pushed into the pumphouse, which crumpled up like a pack of cards. Immediately the plane struck it burst into flames."
The two crew members F/Sgt Leonard George Mayhew BEM (Pilot) and Sgt Leonard Edward Cable (Nav/Radio Op) had been on a routine training flight whilst serving with 301 Ferry Training Unit (FTU), the unit prepared crews for long distance ferry flights to oversea postings.
F/Sgt Mayhew's BEM had been awarded earlier in 1943 whilst he was serving with No 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. The citation reads as follows;
"These airmen under the leadership of Pilot Officer J.F. Williams proceeded to a point where a train of tank cars was on fire. Several of the tank cars, filled with gasoline, had already exploded, adding to the conflagration. These airmen assisted in extinguishing the flames on five tank cars and uncoupling and removing a caboose, two box cars and eleven tank cars to safety. The disregard of the extreme danger and the resourcefulness of these airmen resulted in the saving of a valuable part of a highly explosive and combustible trainload of war material."
Others awarded for their part in the same incident were P/O J.F. Williams RCAF GM, Sergeant R.A. Picard RCAF BEM and Sergeant J.A. Tunstall RAF BEM.
F/Sgt Mayhew's BEM had been awarded earlier in 1943 whilst he was serving with No 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. The citation reads as follows;
"These airmen under the leadership of Pilot Officer J.F. Williams proceeded to a point where a train of tank cars was on fire. Several of the tank cars, filled with gasoline, had already exploded, adding to the conflagration. These airmen assisted in extinguishing the flames on five tank cars and uncoupling and removing a caboose, two box cars and eleven tank cars to safety. The disregard of the extreme danger and the resourcefulness of these airmen resulted in the saving of a valuable part of a highly explosive and combustible trainload of war material."
Others awarded for their part in the same incident were P/O J.F. Williams RCAF GM, Sergeant R.A. Picard RCAF BEM and Sergeant J.A. Tunstall RAF BEM.
The aircraft DH Mosquito NF XIII HK401 was manufactured in early October 1943 at De Havilland's Leavesden factory, Hertfordshire before being delivered to 301 FTU on the 22nd October 1943.
Sources: CWGC, Wiltshire Gazette, Form 78 & Form 1180 RAF Museum. Sgt Cable headstone - Dave Hemstead, F/Sgt Mayhew BEM Citaion Canada Gazette via Tony Millard.