RAF Cranage 1942

Below - orange dates indicate a Cranage accident, green dates indicate an encounter with the enemy.

11 January, Plt. Off. J.G. Sanders survives without injury after his plane crash lands at Cranage.

February. No.2 S.o.A.N. take delivery of Lockheed Hudson AE618.

March. 100 personnel, 11 Ansons and 2 Hurricanes are involved in the War Weapons Week parades in Northwich, Middlewich and Winsford.

April. No.2 S.o.A.N. take delivery of its first Vickers-Armstongs Wellington Mk XIII's.

April. The badly damaged Somerfeld Track that has been reinforcing the runways for two years is to be replaced with American Pierced Steel Planking [PSP].

7 April. No.1 Captains of Aircraft Course starts.

28 April, tragedy strikes in the form of the worst accident to happen at Cranage. Hudson AE618 is being used as a ferry flight and is returning from West Freugh, Scotland when it stalls on approach to the airfield. The aircraft spins towards the ground as the pilot fights to keep control in blustery conditions. All nine personnel on board loose their lives, including five pilots. Flying Officer’s G. C. Buxton, G. E. C. Searle and J. L. W. Botting; Warrant Officer L. C. [Red] Salter, and Flight Sergeant B. W. Bowman, two W.O./A.G. Flight Sergeant’s D. J. Williams and C. E. Forrest and a Corporal R. B. Snashall are all buried at St. John the Evangelist Church, Byley. The ninth member of the crew is W.O. Harold Robinson who is buried at Buried at Whitehaven (Hensingham) Cemetery Cumberland.

Click on the images to view larger versions.

The image shown above are the crash report for Hudson AE618.

The comment on the right hand image -

“aircraft (a/c) spun off final turn at about 300ft probably approaching at insufficient air speed under gusty conditions. Inexperience on type.

Aircraft had possibly to many passengers possibly incorrectly distributed.

Aircraft stalled owing to doing a turn at too low a speed. Pilot inexperience.

Conversion course recommended.”

The final line is a little odd “Conversion course recommended”. Given that all on board were killed it’s hardly likely that anyone was going to be attending any courses.

12 May. Airborne Interception Course starts.

July. Sqd. Ldr. Bignall takes command of the newly formed No.1531 Beam Approach Training [B.A.T.] Flight. The flight is part of No.21 Group and uses eight twin engined Oxfords.

14 August. No.2 S.o.A.N. is split into four flights, each containing seventeen aircraft plus support from Moth’s, Master’s and Hudson’s. To reflect the importance of the the school it is renamed as the Central School of Navigation [C.N.S.] and a new Commanding Officer arrives, Group Captain N.C. Ogilvie-Forbes.

August, Anson N4966 from C.N.S. crashes into the side of a mountain west of Ruabon, near Wrexham, killing all on board.

September. No.1531 B.A.T. receives a further eight Oxfords doubling their number.

15 October, during a night exercise, Anson L7968 crashes into Moss Ridge Long Hill near Buxton. The crew completed the flight and are returning Cranage when they misread one of the navigation beacons, by the time they realise they are flying away from the airfield it is too late. The pilot Sgt. P.J. Woodcock R.A.F.V.R., wireless operator/air gunner Sgt. W.G. Dale R.A.F.V.R. along with two R.C.A.F. Sergeant's J.M. Matheson and R.J. Reay are unfortunately killed.