Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1930s

Details of the crashes and the names of the aircrew involved appear on this page. Please contact us if you are related to somebody on the list, or know of a photograph of them. If original photographs or papers are still in the family, we can help to caption photographs and explain the codes and nicknames that were used at the time. We appreciate the opportunity to copy original material for the museum's archive.

The Midland Aircraft Recovery Group has found the sites of many of the crashes, but we are still looking for a significant number, so we'd like to hear from anyone who can pinpoint a crash that we've listed. We are always looking for photographs, log books and anecdotes relevant to the units based in the Midlands.

The details below are have been compiled from numerous sources of information in the public domain over many years. We've done our best, but errors are inevitable. Please contact us if you have more accurate information on any of the crashes or people listed, or can add the names of crew that we haven't traced. Thank you.

09/10/1930 DH 9J G-AART of the Armstrong Whitworth Reserve School suffered an undercarriage collapse when landing at Whitley.

06/05/1931 Bulldogs J9590 and K1081 of 17 Squadron collided at Wardington near Banbury, while exercising with a squadron of Harts.  Pilots F/Lt E S Borthwicke-Clarke and P/O W H Kyle baled out and landed safely.

06/12/1931 William Johnson crashed a Midland Aero Club aircraft while flying over Meriden.  His injuries were not serious.  Aircraft type and serial unknown.

08/09/1934 George Alexander was instructing Miss Florence West when he force-landed near Whitley aerodrome, Coventy and the aircraft overturned.  Both were taken to hospital.  Aircraft unknown.

20/01/1935 Dr Talbot Dance crashed an unknown aircraft at Hall Farm, Over Whitacre.  His passenger, Miss Dorothy Mills, died the following day.

06/02/1938 Hart K2424 of 610 Squadron crashed and overturned while force landing at Arley.  The pilot, P/O Andrew Thomas Smith and observer, Herbert Rushton, were both OK.

18/07/1938 Blenheim L1153 of 139 Squadron crashed at Wixford after the crew got lost at night and ran out of fuel.  The pilot P/O M L McColm and wireless operator J H Gordon baled out safely, but the observer, Cpl D O Day died after his parachute fouled an aerial.

August 1938 Dart Pup G-AELR was written off the civil aircraft register after crashing at  Leamington aerodrome – nothing further known.

22/09/1938 Saro Cloud K3723 of ERFTS crashed in a field at Walsgrave.  Believed all were OK.  The pilot/ instructor was F/O E R H Coombes.

09/01/1939 Hart K5030 of 10 FTS spun into ground while taking off from Longford.  Instructor P/O Wood and his pupil were unhurt.

10/01/1939 Audax K5204 and K7481 of 10 FTS were forced down by weather while flying from Tern Hill to Abingdon.  K5024, flown by Acting P/O L M Blankensee flew into a hedge at Comberton, while K7481 flown by LAC A E Marshall stalled and crashed at Harvington.  Both pilots were unhurt.

31/01/1939 Moth K1883 of 9 ERFTS crashed on take off at Ansty.  Fate of crew unknown.

22/02/1939 Battle K9287 of 12 Squadron crashed on take off from forced landing at Grimley.

20/03/1939 Blenheim L1459 of 23 Squadron spun into the ground out of cloud near Banbury.  Pilot P/O Joseph Benjamin Raven and observer P/O Anthony Stewart Peter both baled out, but died when both parachutes failed to open.

02/07/1939 Tutor K3457 of 605 Squadron undershot a forced landing at Castle Bromwich.  Names of crew not traced.

25/07/1939 Battle L5254 was a brand new aircraft being test flown by Captain Neville Stack, when it plunged into the side of a railway cutting while approaching Austin’s 400 yard runway at Longbridge.  Captain Stack was badly injured and never test-flew again.

05/08/1939 Battle K7711 226 Squadron overshot a forced-landing and ran into trees at Weatheroak.  Pilot F/O N M Thomas was OK.

25/09/1939 Tiger Moths N6850 and N6855 of 9 EFTS collided near Rugby.  The names of the crews have not been traced.

09/11/1939 Harvard N7104 of 10 FTS spun into ground near Evesham.  Pilot P/O S P Morris was killed.

12/11/1939 Tiger Moth K4283 of 14 EFTS crashed in forced landing at Ansty.  Names of crew not traced.

25/11/1939 Harvard N7134 of 6 FTS crashed in forced landing at Daventry.  Pilot Ronald Dunham-Treble was killed.