ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 242622
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| Date: | Monday 10 July 1950 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Fairey Firefly AS Mk 5 |
| Owner/operator: | 817 Sqn RAN |
| Registration: | VT375 |
| MSN: | F.8285 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Great Treburrick Farm, Wadebridge, Cornwall -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | HMS Vulture, RNAS St.Merryn, Cornwall |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Fairey Firefly AS.5 VT375: Issued 25/4/50 to 817 Squadron RAN (Royal Australian Navy) HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, Padstow, Cornwall coded "210/K".
Written off (destroyed) 10/7/50: Rough running engine, made emergency landing, crashed through hedge and caught fire, Great Treburrick Farm, Wadebridge, Cornwall (approximately four miles south west of RNAS St. Merryn, Padstow, Cornwall). Of the two crew, one killed and one survived.
Crew of Firefly VT375:
Lieutenant Keith.F. Wilson RAN - killed on active service 10/7/1950
Aircraftsman L.Kenderdine RAN - injured 10/7/1950.
According to the official biography of the pilot, Lt. Keith F Wilson RAN:
"His next posting, on 30 March 1949, was to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth, Scotland, for a ‘strike’ weapons training course, which ended on 6 July when he was transferred to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglington, Northern Ireland, for Part 4 of his course. In early October he was posted to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn, near Padstow, Cornwall, where he joined 796 Squadron for familiarisation and conversion to other FAA aircraft. On 17 October 1949 he moved to HMS Dryard at Southwick, Hampshire, for a warfare training course, this course involved time at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on Solent, a major RN FAA training and administrative base where he arrived on 5 December 1949 for weapons training.
In all Wilson completed a rigorous FAA training course. On 22 May 1950 he returned to HMS Vulture, RNAS St Merryn where he was assigned to 817 Squadron – part of the 21st Carrier Air Group – which was re-commissioned on 25 May 1950. 817 Squadron was the RAN Fleet Air Arm’s second Fairey Firefly squadron. It was formed at St Merryn to train the RAN FAA’s Firefly aircrews prior to shipment to Australia on HMAS Sydney in October 1950.
On 10 July 1950, Lieutenant Keith Wilson (Pilot) and Petty Officer Leonard Kenderdine (Observer) were briefed to conduct exercises at the Treligga range flying Fairey Firefly AS5 VT395. During the flight Lieutenant Wilson encountered engine trouble and decided to make an emergency landing at the nearest open space, which was Treburrick Farm near St Merryn. After making a wheels-up touch-down the Firefly hit a thick hedge row, causing the aircraft to break up and catch fire. Although badly injured Petty Officer Kenderdine managed to escape, but Lieutenant Keith Frederick Wilson (P) RAN was engulfed in flames and died at the scene.
Damaged damaged beyond repair, and on 6/8/50 Struck Off Charge as Cat.ZZ
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain, 2004 p.263)
2. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VT
3. https://www.faaaa.asn.au/fairey-firefly-aircraft-histories/
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/n1.htm
5. https://www.faaaa.asn.au/wilson-k-f/ .
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Sep-2020 22:11 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 19-Sep-2020 16:01 | T.T.Taylor | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Operator] |
| 19-Sep-2020 20:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
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