No:132 OTU crashes in Scotland 31st Oct 1944 to 11th May 1945

[stiggy128]

Greetings!

I'm trying to compile a comprehensive list of No:132 Operational Training Unit (based at East Fortune) aircraft crashes in Scotland which occurred between 31st October 1944 and 11th May 1945. I am particularly interested in date, location, pilot & crew names, passengers (if any) and reasons for crash.

Any help from you kind gentlemen would be very much appreciated.

Best regards to all,

Jonathan

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Here is one, of the two 132 OTU losses (the other was Beaufighter VIC T5216), on 12 August 1944:

12-8-1944
No.132 OTU
Beaufighter VIC X8096

Detailed for a night training flight, crashed into the sea at 0130, three miles west of Bass Rock.

The aircraft maintained normal radio contact with the ground station until it indicated it was returning to base. It was thought that it then made an effort to ditch in the sea. During an extensive search an empty dinghy was found.

A report on the accident stated: " During the night training flight the pilot commenced a VHA QDM at the end of the outward leg and called for an emergency landing and eventually gave a ditching instruction to the crew. The aircraft ditched 10 miles off shore."

Crew:

AUS420407 F/Sgt (Pilot) Malcolm John TURNER RAAF +
AUS428357 F/Sgt (Nav./W) Ronald Harry PYE RAAF +

F/Sgt's Turner and Pye RAAF, are buried in the Haddington (St. Martin's) New Burial Ground, East Lothian.

Info based based on Storr.

Col.

[stiggy128]

Thank you, Col.

Bit early for the period I am interested in which starts 31st Oct 1944 through to 11th May 1945.

[COL BRUGGY]

Jonathan,

Indubitably! Easy, now I've found my specs.

Col.

[stiggy128]

:) Have the same problem myself.

[Errol Martyn]

From my For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998):

Sat 11/Sun 12 Nov 1944
COASTAL COMMAND
Night training exercise
132 Operational Training Unit, RAF (East Fortune, East Lothian - 17 Group)
Beaufighter TF.X LX944 - took off shortly after 2200, and in low cloud and mist was seen at 2239 from the SS Marina to crash into the sea close by, about 5 miles NE of St Abb’s Head, Berwickshire. The vessel immediately went to the scene but found no trace of the aircraft or its crew, both of whom are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Pilot: NZ42104 Wt Off Gordon Thomas BULMAN, RNZAF - Age 31(?) 716hrs (44 on Beaufighter) 49 ops.
Bulman’s 49 ops were flown during a South Pacific tour on Hudsons in 1943. The CWGC register gives his age as 28, but it appears that he understated his age by at least three years on enlistment in order to qualify for aircrew by giving his year of birth as 1916.

Wed 2/Thu 3 May 1945
COASTAL COMMAND
Training
132 Operational Training Unit, RAF (East Fortune, East Lothian - 17 Group)
Beaufighter TF.X NE813 - took off at about 2305 and last heard calling at 0214, but on responding Control received no acknowledgement. Fifteen minutes later, while flying at 1300 feet and having veered off track, NE813 flew into high ground at Wester Dod on Slottenclough Farm, 4 miles WSW of Cockburnspath, Berwickshire. The pilot was buried at Haddington, East Lothian, and his comrade in the Edmonton Cemetery at Enfield, Middlesex.
Pilot: NZ4216075 Fg Off Harry Kenneth Lillington RICE, RNZAF - Age 21. 371hrs.
Navigator: NZ429177 Fg Off Aubrey John CLARKE, RNZAF - Age 23. 361hrs.

Errol

[stiggy128]

Thanks for this, Errol.

[stiggy128]

This is obviously not an easy task...

Can anyone put me on the right road to research this topic ... I am interested in all accidents between 31st Oct 1944 to 11th May 1945 of No:132 OTU whether the aircrew perished or survived. Would the ORB of 132 OTU be of any use? I have been told before that OTU ORBs are not as thorough as active squadron ORBs. Is this correct?

[Keith Bryers]

11.11.1944 LX944 5 mls NE St Abbs Head in bad wx; 42104 F/S G T Bulman RNZAF (P) & 1324961 F/S E F Craddock RAF (N) both missing.
26.11.1944 LX797 Undershot East Fortune on single engine approach and w/o; no crew details.
4.12.1944 JL725 Bounced, stalled & burst into flames landing at East Fortune on landing and w/o; no crew details.
3.2.1945 T5319 Stalled on emergency approach to East Fortune and u/c collapsed. No crew details.
24.2.1945 JM329 Bounced on landing at East Fortune, stalled and cartwheeled; 437321 F/O E T Stone RAAF (P) & 437215 F/S J R Angus RAAF (N) both seriously injured.
18.3.1945 NE767 Pilot's attention distracted during an engine failure by inadvertant firing of cannons, stalled on to East Fortune r/w and w/o. No crew details.
29.3.1945 LX809 Pilot held off too high, wing dropped and hit ground, cartwheeled, East Fortune. No crew details.
30.3.1945 LX817 Crashed Bolton, near Haddington after stbd e/f. No crew details.
15.4.1945 JM220 Whilst firing on Dirleton Range, dived into sea near Fidra; 1395354 F/S F G Saunders RAFVR (P) & 1397878 F/S J H Barnes RAFVR (N) both killed.
3.5.1945 NE813 Controlled flight into high ground 10 miles W. of St Abbs Head; 4216075 [I think there's a digit too many here] F/O H K L Rice RNZAF (P) & 429177 F/O A J Clarke RNZAF both killed.

I would be interested to learn any data you may have on crews details missing from the above.

Keith

[Tim Bishop]

Jonathan,

I can only seem to locate one relevant Martinet reference.

MS606 P& Powis 1690 / C 23 (c) Mercury XXX 07.08.43 132 (C) O.T.U., East Fortune; 15.11.44 Flying Accident Cat Ac damage, 132 (C) O.T.U., East Fortune whilst landing aircraft stalled 30’ short of runway and damaged tail oleo in heavy landing. Pilot Flight Lieutenant IVEY, Reginald (122762) Uninjured. Accident time 12.45, Duty: Training Flight; 22.11.44 Repaired on Site (C.R.O.); 09.12.44 132 (C) O.T.U., East Fortune; 16.02.45 27 M.U., Shawbury; 21.03.46 27 M.U., Shawbury Home Census; 29.11.46 S.O.C. as scrap.

Regards,

Tim