Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

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27.10.1943 No. 11 OTU Wellington Ic R1790 Fl/Sgt. S.C. Corby

Operation: Training

Date: 27th October 1943 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 11 OTU (Operational Training Unit)

Type: Wellington IC

Serial: R1790

Code: E

Base: RAF Westcott, Buckinghamshire

Location: Parrots Field ,Wotton House, Wotton Underwood

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Sidney Charles Corby NZ/424429 RNZAF Age 23. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Thomas Bayly Tanner NZ/425446 RNZAF Age 24. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Ronald Leslie Warren 1586065 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Sydney Buchan 1565131 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Blount RAFVR Survived - injured.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Westcott tat 19:42 hrs to practise night circuits and landings, after one or two circuits and landings the pilot made another take off at 19:55 hrs but the aircraft was observed to swing 20 degrees to starboard on its climb out, just moments later it crashed into the top of 100 ft. trees at Parrots field, Wotton House about a mile from the airfield and burst into flames.

Units from the Pioneer Corps attended the crash, but little could be done. The rear gunner, Sgt. Blount survived and was treated at Halton hospital.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Sidney Charles Corby. Botley Cemetery (Oxford) Plot I/2. Grave 97. Son of Florence Corby, of Naenae, Wellington, New Zealand. 336 Hours of which 11 were solo on a Wellington.

Sgt. Thomas Bayly Tanner. Botley Cemetery (Oxford) Plot I/2. Grave 96. Son of Jonathan and A. E. Tanner, of Tauranga, Auckland, New Zealand.

Sgt. Ronald Leslie Warren. Twickenham Cemetery. Plot N. Row E. Class B. Grave 33. Son of Charles Alfred and Florence Ada Warren, of Twickenham, England.

Sgt. John Sydney Buchan. Colinton Parish Churchyard (Southern Ext) Sec. P. Grave 25. Son of Gavin Struthers Buchan and Sarah Davidson Buchan, of Edinburgh, Scotland.

For further details our thanks to the following sources shown below. Also to Mrs. S. Game who’s father attended the scene as a member of the Pioneer Corps.

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