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Archive Report: Allied Forces

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20 otu memorial
20 OTU Wellington X NC594 A1-W tragic accident

Operation: Air Test

Date: 20th May 1945 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 20 OTU (Operational Training Unit)

Type: Wellington X

Serial: NC594

Code: A1-W

Base: RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland

Location: Seatown, Scotland

Pilot: F/O. Ronald Arthur Rickard 187301 RAFVR Age 28. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. David Peacock Robertson Cameron 186773 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Cecil George Walter Mawby 1894889 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Civilian Losses:

Mrs Johan Flood (nee Phimister), aged 37

Master Jack Flood, aged 14

Master James Flood, aged 12

Master Sinclair Flood, aged 7

Master George Flood, aged 5

Master David Flood, aged 3

Mrs Edith Allan, aged 66

Miss Vera Drummond, aged 19

REASON FOR LOSS:

On its previous sortie, this aircraft had made an emergency landing with port engine trouble. After several ground runs, no fault could be found and the aircraft was scheduled for an air test.

The aircraft took off at 09:52 from Lossiemouth and, from eyewitness accounts, was in trouble from the start. For approximately five minutes, the Wellington circled with one of its engines misfiring then, while approaching from the direction of the sea, it dived and came down onto a block of municipal housing in Church Street, Seatown, on the east side of Lossiemouth.

The top floor of the building, which housed three families, took the full impact, killing Mrs Johan Flood and four of her sons immediately. In the same instant, Mrs Edith Allan, a widow, and her adopted daughter died. From the floor below, Mr John Flood and his daughter Jeannie, age 11, were about to prepare breakfast. Dropping his little girl to safety in the garden below, Mr Flood managed to find his youngest son, David, but just as he reached the open window, there was an explosion and the boy was blown from his arms, while he was catapulted out of the building and was barely hurt.

From the ground floor, Mrs John Stewart and her three children escaped uninjured.

F/O Ronald Rickard was a screened pilot and a Pilot Instructor at 20 OTU. He had previously served with 40 squadron in the Middle East. On 9-10 March 1943 he crashed while piloting Wellington IC AD651/D. F/O Cameron was also screened aircrew and had been posted to an OTU as experienced aircrew to be involved in OTU training. (note: With thanks to Col Bruggy on the 12 o'clock High Forum for correct number of squadron)



Burial details:

F/O. Ronald Arthur Rickard, Manchester Crematorium, Panel 20. Son of Arthur Percy Rickard and Annie Lillian Rickard of Manchester, husband of Marjorie Iris Rickard of Blackley, Manchester, England.

F/O. David Peacock Robertson Cameron, Edinburgh (Morningside) Cemetery, Sec E, Grave 856. Son of David Cameron and Janet Cameron (nee Hutton of Auchtermuchty) of Edinburgh, Scotland. Husband of Joan Cameron (née Allinson), whom he married only a few days before he died.

Sgt Cecil George Walter Mawby, South Ealing Cemetery, Sec QQ, Row D, Grave 13. Son of Leonard Basil Mawby and Elsie Florence Mawby of Ealing, England.

Researched by: Lynn Herron for Aircrew Remembered. Acknowledgments: RAF Bomber Command Losses (Bill Chorley), C.W.G.C; The Price of Peace (Colin Cummings); www.lossiefowk.co.uk, Scottish War Graves Project. Col Bruggy 12 o'clock high forum.


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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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