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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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coastal command
07th December 1942 2 (Coastal) OTU Beaufighter VIC T5317 Sgt. Land

Operation: Training

Date: 07th December 1942 (Monday)

Unit: No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit. 17 Group

Type: Beaufighter VIC

Serial: T5317

Code: -

Base: RAF Catfoss, Yorkshire

Location: Bridlington Road, Hunmanby, Yorkshire

Pilot: Sgt. Ian John Land NZ/414306 RNZAF Age 21. Killed

Obs: Sgt. William Ronald Evans 1319211 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 08:52 hrs. on a visual homing and DTC exercise.

Just 8 minutes later the aircraft spun in out of cloud from about 1,000 ft and crashed at location shown killing both the young crew.

As no evidence that the aircraft was faulty, it is thought that the pilot had simply lost control while flying in thick cloud and was unable to recover in the height available.

Burial and personal details:

Sgt. Ian John Land. Brandesburton Churchyard( St Mary) . RAF Sec. Grave 24. Born on the 26th October 1921 at Hastings. Served 2 years in the territorial army. Enlisted at Levin on the 26th July 1941. Trained at No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School joining on the 06th September 1941. Attached to No. 2 Flying Training School joining on the 08th November 1941. Awarded pilots badge on the 20th December 1941 and then promoted to sergeant on the 31st January 1942. Embarked for England on the 22nd February 1942. After further advanced flying training units joined 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit on the 03rd November 1942. Son of Simeon Johnston Land (died 27th August 1954, age 59 - a former trooper in the Otago Mounted Rifles) and Mona Winifred Land (nee Cunningham - died 05th July 1971, age 75. a former sister in the army nursing service) of Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. A total of 287 flying hours logged with 165 hours solo and 20 on the Beaufighter.

Sgt. William Ronald Evans. Woodford Bridge Churchyard (St. Paul). West of church. A member of the Home Guard before enlisting. Son of the late Mr. (died 1932) and Mrs. (died 1943) D. Evans, Woodford Bridge, Woodford, London. Formerly of Pontypridd, South Wales.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Adrian Lee for details on Sgt. Evans, Yorkshire Aircraft, and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 23-08-2021

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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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