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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
30.07.1944 No. 11 OTU Wellington HZ375 TX-M Fl/Lt. L.E. MacAdam DFM

Operation: Training

Date: 30th July 1944 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 11 OTU (Operational Training Unit)

Type: Wellington 

Serial: HZ375

Code: TX-M

Base: RAF Westcott, Buckinghamshire

Location: Charndon, Buckinghamshire

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Lawrence Edward MacAdam DFM 141102 RAFVR Age 28. Killed (1)

Pilot U/T: F/O. Ian MacKenzie Angus AUS/429413 RAAF Age 22. Killed

Air/Bmr: P/O. Richard John Taylor 163727 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr U/T: Fl/Sgt. Norman Lindsay Newbey AUS/427015 RAAF Age 23. Killed (2)

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Sidney Brown DFM 1211203 RAFVR Age 37. Killed (3)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Thomas Ankers 2210700 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Aspin 3041184 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Cadet 1st Class Frederick James Dennis Harris Air Training Corps Age 18. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Westcott for a training Cine Gun exercise with a fighter aircraft. At 15:23hrs the aircraft took intense evasive action resulting in the loss of both wings and the fuselage crashing into the ground near Charndon killing all on board 

(1) Fl/Lt. Lawrence Edward MacAdam. DFM. was Gazetted on the 18th September 1942:

“This airman has completed his operational tasks in an courageous and determined manner, often in the face of heavy opposition. His fine fighting spirit and cheerfulness, whatever the circumstances have inspired his comrades to emulate his example.”

(2) His brother, Pte. Edward William Newbey, WX7406 Australian Infantry died on the 7th December 1943 whilst a PoW in Italy, age 36. Buried at Udine War Cemetery.

(3) F/Sgt. Sidney Brown. DFM was Gazetted on the 15th August 1944.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Lawrence Edward MacAdam. DFM. Southport (Birkdale) Roman Catholic Cemetery, Lancashire. Sec. M. Grave 84. Son of Theodore and Margaret H. MacAdam of Churchtown, Southport, England.

F/O. Ian MacKenzie Angus. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire. Plot I/2. Grave 251. Further information:

Ian Angus was born on 13th March 1922 at Warwick, Qld. He was one of three brothers, the sons of William and Elizabeth Angus of Locke Street. Ian completed his early education at Warwick Central School in 1934, before obtaining a State Scholarship to attend Scots College in Warwick. Ian revelled in the discipline and scholarship of Scots and quickly made his presence felt in study and sport. He was a diligent student and did not appear to waste a minute of his time at Scots. This was apparent when, in his first year, he wrote a poem that was printed in the December,1935 edition of “The Clansman”. He titled his poem ”The Song of School Work”, and included the following lines:  

“’Tis but to be a slave
Along with a barbarous “Pre”
When a boy has never a minute to spare,
And never a chance for a spree”.

Ian was involved in Cricket where he represented the College First 1X in 1938 as well as the First XV in football. This was said about Ian in the “Clansman”: “A winger with natural ability but handicapped by size. Sound in all phases of the game”. So it seems Ian showed some ability in both these sports at Scots. He also gained his Bronze Medallion in Lifesaving, and represented the College in swimming in 1937. Ian’s progress in study did not suffer as a result of his busy sport activities, as he gained his Junior and Senior Certificates and graduated from Scots in 1938.

After finishing school Ian joined the Bank of NSW intending to make a career in the Accounting and Finance world. After a short time in the Warwick branch, Ian was sent to Mackay. When war broke out in 1939 Ian enlisted in the Army Medical Corps but as news of The Battle of Britain reached Australian media, Ian enthralled with flying, transferred to the RAAF in September,1942.

Ian was sent to do his elementary flying at RAAF Stations at Kingaroy, Bundaberg and Narromine. Like many young Australian airmen, he was sent to Canada under the British Empire Training Scheme to complete his advanced flying training. Ian gained his wings in early 1943, and was posted to Bomber Command in England to undertake training at 11 Operation Training Unit. Flying Vickers Wellington twin engine bombers, Ian was almost ready to go into combat when he took off on July 30th,1944 as a pupil pilot in Wellington YHZ375 TX-M.

While doing gun training exercises with a fighter plane Ian’s aircraft crashed near Charndon, Buckingham, killing all on board. Reports had listed the Wellington as losing both wings while taking evasive action during the training exercise.

Ian’s father, William received a moving letter from his Commanding Officer; ”He was a fine Officer and most popular with Instructors and comrades”, his CO said, and he was sadly taken before he could make a contribution to the war effort.

P/O. Richard John Taylor. Plymouth (Weston Mill) Cemetery, Devon. Sec. B. Cons. Grave 12155. Son of George Edward and Glayds May Taylor of Plymouth, England.

Fl/Sgt. Norman Lindsay Newbey. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire. Plot I/2. Grave 252. Son of Thomas Joseph and Alice Newbey of Collie, Western Australia

Fl/Sgt. Sidney Brown. D.F.M.. Leicester (Welford Road) Cemetery, Leicestershire. Sec. I. Uncons. Grave 512. Son of William and Alice Mary Brown of Leicester, England.

Sgt. Ronald Thomas Ankers. Manchester (Philips Park) Cemetery, Lancashire. Sec. H. Nonconformist. Grave 952. Son of Eli and Amy Ankers of Manchester. Husband of Margaret Ankers of Longsight, Manchester, England.

Sgt. Thomas Aspin. Newbiggin (St. Bartholomew) Churchyard, Northumberland. Line 20. Grave 9. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Aspin of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, England.

Cadet 1st Class Frederick James Dennis Harris. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire. Plot I/2. Grave 253. Son of Frederick Walter and Elsie Harris of Hayes, Middlesex, England.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. In particular we would like to thank the following for information and photographs supplied:

Tony Bowden for grave photo of the Anker brothers. Simon Macadam for grave photo of Fl/Lt. MacAdam. D.F.M. Valarie Cairns for photo of Sgt. Ankers. Jim Flyod for grave photo of Sgt. Thomas Aspin. Chris Powis for grave photo of Fl/Sgt. Sidney Brown. D.F.M. Scots PGC College, Warwick, Queensland for photo of F/O. Angus. Find-A-Grave for grave photo of F/O. Angus. Find-A-Grave for grave photo of Fl/Sgt. Newbey. Jacolyn Kohlor for photo of Fl/Sgt. Newbey.

KTY 04.09.2015 Corrected grave image marking

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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 Captain 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', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, 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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