[Observer1940]

Yes, my Grandfather was the Air Observer on P5044.

Their Whitley was first heard and then latterly seen before the impact with the balloon cable ESE of Eastleigh Aerodrome.

The Wireless Summary is missing on the P5044 Flying Accident Card.

The Flying Accident Card 'Cause' box has F6 overwritten by F9, next F8 which was overwritten by F4.

F6 = "Loss of control after hitting or avoiding obstacles in bad visibility" was ruled out first.

F9 = "Unknown or not yet determined". This was obviously followed by a Second Inquiry. My Grandmother lived near RAF Driffield and my family always knew that a Second Inquiry was held into the crash, as to why a balloon at Eastleigh Aerodrome had been hit.

F8 = "Airframe Defect" (F8A), or "Miscellaneous" F8B, was ruled out as the main cause according to the Card.

I discovered in several surviving 1940 balloon cable collision Reports that some aircraft which hit balloon cable/s had been shot at and damaged before the actual impact with the cable/s and F8 is ticked on their respective Flying Accident Cards, suggesting that the shot had damaged the airframe.

F4 = "Flying into ground, sea or hills in cloud or fog."

I have discovered that F4 was also used when there was a problem with D/F Positions or when bearings were taken from wireless stations.

SOS Distress Signals were observed S.E. of Sandown, Isle of Wight before the crash and the Whitley was heard flying up Southampton Water and therefore could overfly the area according to the Regulations, but had to land outside of this area. Boscombe Down was taking our bomber aircraft which were diverted that night.

But P5044 turned and started a descent on HMS Raven (RNAS Eastleigh). After 12 years of searching official A.M. files to solve the 70 year old family mystery I have now discovered the most likely causes of this and am saving it for my book "Four of Our Aircraft are Missing".

According to documents and Naval documents the Civil Air Ministry apparently blamed the Royal Air Force for not having a Warning System and also Warning Lighting at the Langley and Eastleigh Balloon Barrages which would indicate the Eastleigh Aerodrome was out of use, as required by the 1936 Navigation Order/Act. Warning Lights were installed around the end of August 1940 at Eastleigh and an audible warning transponder transmitter known as a "Squeaker" were installed at Balloon Barrages to comply with the 1936 requirements. Other types of assistance were also given, along with changes to Flying Control and my book will go into more detail about this.

Regarding the other collision of Whitley P4982, the balloon barrage at Langley was not indicated on the map according to relatives. I found a 1940 SD map and noticed that the balloon barrage around Eastleigh Aerodrome was not indicated either!!

Mark R. Hood 2011