No.215 Sqn Wellington. Lost 9-7-1943

[Smith 565]

Re HE126

According to the times posted in the record, the crash must have been very close to the airfield at Jessore. Take-off recorded at 07.55 hrs and crashed at 07.57 hrs.

Last year I checked the service file for WO2 Holcombe, RCAF, available via Ancestry. There was no 'circumstantial report' which might have added anything further the facts which Col posted earlier.

Geoff

[Resmoroh]

HE126 forensic evidence!
So we are possibly looking at an impact location somewhere between the end of Jessore r/w 16 and a point at GE 23.113127 89.187089 (2 mins at 120 kts)?
The a/c is said to have banked into the vertical before the crash.
Having been involved (historically!) in similar incidents of this sort it would seem to me that this might be a case of (a) not all the gust locks (assuming the Wellington had them?!) had been removed, (b) the collection of the visual ‘tails’ of ALL the gust locks had not been shown, by the ground-crew, to the Pilot, and/or (c) some other control surface problem, which the Pilot had not checked?
HTH
Peter Davies

[Smith 565]

Re HE126:

175 Wing ORB (AIR26/258) helps a bit -

'... Q/215, F/Sgt Dowling E, took off on Intruder at 07.55 hours but crashed two minutes after take off one mile South of the Runway on the edge of the Aerodrome. All the crew were killed as a result of the crash. The results of the Investigation into this fatal accident is not yet to hand, but the port engine failed immediately after take off and this may be taken as the primary cause.'


Geoff

[Resmoroh]

That puts the impact point on the banks of, or in, the Bhairab River. This river is the current border India/Bangladesh (within 300 yds/m of GE 23.159851 89.168291) . Hadn't thought about engine failure. But Wimpy's were notorious for their poor single-engine performance. Between us, then, we had unearthed evidence that should satisfy any modern Court of Inquiry! Well done!
HTH
Peter Davies