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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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RAF Crest
15.09.1942 No. 4 GTS Hector I K9706 Sgt. Alistair W. Allen

Operation: Glider Towing Training

Date: 15th September 1942 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 4 Glider Training School (23 Group)

Type: Hector I

Type: G.A. Hotspur II

Serial: K9706

Serial: BT505

Code: Not known

Base: RAF Kidlington, Oxfordshire

Location: near Wytham, 4 miles SSW of airfield

Hector I Pilot: Sgt. Alistair William Allen NZ/412180 RNZAF Age 20. Killed

Hotspur II Pilot Instructor: P/O. Hugh Thomas Weller-Poley 127049 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Hotspur II Pilot: Cpl. Hugh Walter Charles Corke 5781349 The Glider Pilot Regiment, Army Air Corps, 1st Wing Age 18. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking of at about 01:55 hrs on single circuit night exercise. Sgt. Allen was flying the Hector I towing the Hotsput II. 5 minutes later they flew into low cloud and the weather deteriorated earlier than forecast. Flying at about 600 ft when they crashed into the ground near Wytham some 4 miles SSW of RAF Kidlington.

Occupants from both aircraft sadly lost their lives.

Burial details:

Sgt. Alistair William Allen. Kidlington Burial Ground. Sec. B. Grave 12. Son of William Henry Allen and of Edith May Allen (née Beach), of Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 542 Flying hours logged - 485 solo with 362 on the Hector aircraft. Tragically the family already had lost another son, 19 year old, Sgt. John Herbert Allen was killed in a landing accident on the 08th April 1941 flying Hurricane I V7159.

P/O. Hugh Thomas Weller-Poley. Boxted Churchyard (All Saints). Son of Edward Hallifax Weller Poley and Ursula Weller-Poley, of Boxted, Essex, England.

Cpl. Hugh Walter Charles Corke. Isleworth Cemetery. Block R. Class C.E. Grave 74. Son of Walter Thomas Corke and Emily Corke, of Hounslow, Middlesex, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Colin Cummings: “Though Without Anger”, other sources as quoted below:

KTY - 06.09.2017

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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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