[Observer1940]

Brian

Not sure if you have this, if you have, there might be some more details. Apparently there is a report in The Times 2nd June 1943.
LOW FLYING: DOWNSIDE ACCIDENT.

HL Deb 10 June 1943 vol 127 cc1032-42

“LORD WINSTER had the following question on the Paper: To ask His Majesty's Government whether a statement can now be made concerning the recent deaths at Downside School caused by the low flying of, a Fleet Air Arm machine” …

“As regards the matter of an inquiry, an inquest has been held but that inquest, of course, was, of necessity, directed only to establishing the cause of death. It could not be directed to establishing the cause of the accident, and the facts leading up to this disaster have not yet been made known authoritatively to the public.” …

“What alarms them is the feeling, when they know that something has gone wrong, that the facts are being concealed from them.” …

“I am informed that none of the parents of the boys killed or injured has received any letter expressing regret from any naval authority, and in fact no naval authority has called at the hospital where these injured boys are or has made any inquiries.”

“The last point that I want to mention is a point of public interest—namely, this question of low flying. One can only ask the question, how much longer is this criminal thing to go on, and can no stop be put to it? In the present instance, the Father Abbot of Downside had done everything that he possibly could by official means to put an end to this practice. It was an evil of long standing at Downside. The Father Abbot has called twice at the Air Ministry; he has written two official letters; he has telephoned to the authorities; he has given the official numbers of the aircraft which were at fault. Even that has not stopped it, and, even since this tragedy at Downside, this low flying has occurred again at the school. Before the tragedy this was a regular nuisance at Downside; it was a persistent practice, which was affecting the nerves of the boys.”

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE ADMIRALTY (LORD BRUNTISFIELD)
… “With regard to the general question of low flying, I do not want to go into this particular accident in detail, for the simple reason that further proceedings are pending. There is a court martial involved, and obviously it would be highly improper for me to say anything which may in any way affect the trial of the officer concerned.” …

“In general, however, I should like to say that, in common with the Air Ministry, the Admiralty views all forms of dangerous and low flying as in the worst possible taste and as the height of bad manners. The strictest regulations exist, which are frequently brought to the notice of flying officers, to prevent the occurrence of this exceedingly deplorable practice.” … – Crown Copyright

Inquest
Resumed Inquest at the Downside School Gymnasium 1st June 1943 - Plane Crash at Downside School Playing Ground on May 15th 1943 during a Cricket Match, killing nine of the boy spectators.

The Headmaster of the School was Dom Christopher Butler.
Rev. John Bernard Orchard, House-master
Police Detective Constable Fisher
Very Rev. R. S. Trafford, Abbot of Downside

Pilot Sub. Lt. A. C. McCracken, Australian, of the Fleet Air Arm also killed

Mr A. Myddleton-Wilshere appeared for Sub Lt. John B Leeming, Pilot of the other plane, flying in the company with McCracken
Mr J. McKenna appeared for the Admiralty

Boys were;
Hugh Michael Dearlove (14), son of Group Captain Dearlove killed early in the war and Mrs C. M. Dearlove, Horris Bank of Newtown, Newbury, Berkshire;
David Hugh Lowndes (16), son of Mrs G. W. Bishop, Ennismore, Gardens, London;
Lawrence John McNabb (15), son of Wing Commander and Mrs McNabb of ParkTown, Oxford;
Brian Richard Patrick McSwiney (14), son of Dr and Mrs S. A. McSwiney of Caton, The Golfs, Eastbourne, Sussex;
Michael Bagot Quinlan (15), son of Mr & Mrs P. B. Quinlan of Ealing, London;
Philip Humphrey Peter Rose (15), son and Heir of Sir Philip Rose, Bart, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire;
Keith Edward Charles Stokes (15), son of Mr and Mrs C. A. Stokes, The Croft, Clarence Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset;
David M Jennings (10½), son of Lt. Col. G. W. D. Jennings, R. E., and Mrs Jennings of Budleigh Salterton, Devon;
Graham Norman Letts (13) son of Mr and Mrs H. Norman Letts of West Common, Lindfield, Sussex.

On 1st June 1943, nine others were still in hospital.

Summary
Five cricket games were going on and 200 people were watching and playing.

House-master Rev. John Bernard Orchard, said he saw before the crash two aeroplanes circling the ground closer to the tree tops than he had ever seen before. The aircraft approached the playing field from different directions at different times.

Dom Orchard saw the boys scattering on the banks as one of the planes approached and the boys would have been clearly visible to the pilots flying a hundred feet or more from the ground. Plane had passed but made a hairpin turn.

Mr Wilshere for Mr Leeming says he only circled the field once that day. A question was asked – Are you quite sure he was over the field at all?

Rev. Michael Benet Innes who was umpiring said he estimated the planes passing at about 30 to 40 feet on three or four occasions … “I took the number of one plane because I thought such low flying was distracting and dangerous.”

Richard Kirkpatrick Hutton a schoolboy saw the planes circling the field, saying they crossed it more than once in direct lines, turned and came back.

Commander A.F. Black, in control of a Royal Navy air station, said that in excellent visibility Sub-Lieutenant J. B. Leeming and Sub-Lieutenant A. C. McCracken took two sea Hurricanes on exercises. Both exercises were individual attack and follow-my-Ieader, with the instructor, Leeming, carrying out steep turns, dives, and "zooms," and the pupil, McCracken (who was killed), attempting to keep on the leader's tail. They should not have flown below 2,000ft. Downside was just out­side the limited area permitted for the exercises.
McCracken had eight months' experience of flying in Britain. Leeming, who had 500 hours' flying since 1941, was an experienced instructor. No technical defects had been found in the crashed plane. To have flown over the playing fields at less than 100ft., would have been a gross breach of regulations.

The Coroner Mr M. Pullibank told the jury they had to decide whether Leeming could be held respon­sible for the actions of McCracken.

Mark