Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn
 

On Wednesday the 27th of August 1941 at 3.50pm,. Two 143 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft appeared over Udny Station, Aberdeenshire. The two aircraft came into contact with each other causing Beaufighter T3311 to lose control. The aircraft plummet to the ground striking a tree before crashing into the grounds of Tillery House near Udny.

Sergeant Arthur Aspinall Catton of the RAF Volunteer Reserve, Age 23 and Pilot officer John Mannington Sayers Age 26 also of the RAF Volunteer reserve were killed in the crash.

Anybody any details on the other Beaufighter or what happened to it's crew?

Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn
 

Hello Alan,
RAF Coastal Command Losses vol1 has this loss as "Lost height in a turn, hit a tree and crashed at Tillery, Aberdeen shire".
Alex

Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn
 

There was Anson I - N5135 - 2 AOS - Got lost in bad weather and crashed in a forced landing at Kerny Tonlia Farm, Kilchattan, Bute.
Then there were the following collision's though.
Botha I - L6509 with Defiant I - N1745 but this was in the Blackpool area.
And then
Hurricane IIb - Z5145 of 331 Sqdn with Blenheim IV - Z5864 - ( 55/113/15SAAF) over Lybster, Caithness.
So it is possible this event was the one you were seeking ?
Alex

Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn
 

Thanks Alex

I have that info about hitting a tree, an eyewitness said it hit a tree following a mid air collision

The crashsite was in the gardens of Tillery House, the plane did hit a tree, but it was in the process of undertaking a forced landing after the mid air collision.

Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn
 

The Court of Inquiry A.291446/41 discounted a mid air collision but did note that Sayers was possibly distracted watching another aircraft during the formation practice leading to the loss of height.

No mention is made of an attempted force landing only that they were unable to clear trees on high ground.

AOC recorded cause as Error of Judgement and Cause was altered from F9 - Unknown to F7B Other Error on 30th Sept 1941. (Cause code for Other Error, Collision was F7A- Ross)

Ross

Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn
 

The late Eric McHardy OC 143 Squadron includes in his memories a brief mention:

"In July 1941 the squadron had become virtually an OTU training crews for overseas posting to mainly the Middle East. By October 1941 the squadron became operational. Sadly there were quite a few fatalities."

Andy Bird

Re: Beaufighter crash 27/8/41, 143 Sqdrn
 

Thanks Chaps

I stay about a mile from Tillery, in the grand scheme of things it is not really on high ground. The Beafighter(s) must have been at low low level.

The person that witnessed the crash, says that "on their way home from school at about 3.30pm when two Beaufighters appeared just over Udny Station. They touched/clipped wings, one flew off back in the direction of Dyce whilst the other, apparently out of control, headed towards Tillery. quickly went to the crash site where the plane was ablaze, and a horrible experience of seeing the pilot and the other crewman being enveloped in flames. It wasn’t very long before help arrived but it was too late. The Beaufighter had come down in the garden behind the gardeners house and a wheel from the undercarriage was lying on top of the gardener’s shed.