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Date: | Tuesday 8 August 1939 |
Time: | c. 00:00 |
Type: | Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B Mk III |
Owner/operator: | 58 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | K8970 |
MSN: | LT-C |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 5 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Tollerton, near RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorskhire -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Take off |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire |
Destination airport: | |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:On the night of 8-9.8.39 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley III K8970, (LT-C) of 58 Squadron, RAF Linton-on-Ouse was destroyed when it hit a tree after night take-off, and crashed at Tollerton, near Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire. Four of the five crew were killed:
Flt Sgt Edward James Bruce Russell Gillespie (pilot, aged 25, killed)
Sgt David John Wood (aged 26, killed)
AC1 Philip Henry Cook (aged 19, killed)
AC1 Thomas William Clarkson (aged 24, killed)
AC1 William McGlen Stewart Harkness, survived but injured
According to the official Air Ministry announcement in "Flight" magazine (August 17, 1939 page 161 - see link #5)
"FLYING ACCIDENTS
Flt Sgt. Edward James Bruce Russell Gillespie, Sgt. David John Wood, A/C.1 Philip Henry Cook, and A/C.1 Thomas William Clarkson lost their lives and A/C.1 William McGlen Stewart Harkness was slightly injured in an accident which occurred at Linton-on-Ouse on August 8, to an aircraft of No. 58 Squadron. Flt. Sgt. Gillespie was the pilot of the aircraft and Sgt. Wood and A/Cs. Cook, Clarkson and Harkness were the other members of the crew"
Sources:
1. Folha da Manhã 10 August 1939, page 1
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1976)
3.
http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939.htm 4.
http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/00757.php 5.
https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1939/1939-1-%20-%200535.PDF Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
07-Sep-2015 16:46 |
TB |
Added |
07-Sep-2015 16:50 |
TB |
Updated [Narrative] |
26-Nov-2017 00:15 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
23-Dec-2017 18:26 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative] |
01-Apr-2018 00:17 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
13-Nov-2018 07:00 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
30-Aug-2022 09:58 |
Lipatov Sergey |
Updated [Total fatalities] |