No.216 Squadron crash, 7 July 1936

[HughAHalliday]

May I request information on the crash of a transport aircraft belonging to No.216 Squadron at Mersa Matruh, 7 July 1936 - the type of aircraft, serial and circumstances as to crash “whilst engaged in a night flying exercise in co-operation with the Army.” Pilot was F/O Norman de Warrenne Boult (dangerously injured). Four members of the RAF and three army personnel were killed; I have their names, viz:

ALLAN, Ronald George, Sergeant Pilot

ADAMS, Edward, LAC.

HASSALL, Albert George, AC1

WHITE, John, AC1

and

Captain Edward Francis MacKay Barford, Essex Regiment

Captain Herbert Frank Gordon D’arcy Symonds, The Buffs

Lieutenant Douglas Elliott Macintosh, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Hugh,

F1180 has this as Valentia K3166. Tasked with searchlight co-operation, Mersa Matruh.

Came into land to one side of the flare path, lost height from 800 ft with side slip, hit ground with wing and turned over before catching fire from Holt flare.

7 killed (3 non RAF) and 6 injured (4 non RAF)

Sgt Allan was 2nd pilot but flying at the time of accident

F/O Boult listed as 1st Pilot.

Allan had 210 hrs solo, 66 hrs dual (134, 17 on type) in his log book.

Regards
Ross

[paulmcmillan]

All Crew and passenger details 216 (Bomber Transport) Squadron, Heliopolis, Egypt

Killed in flying accident 7 July 1936 at Mersa Matruh, Egypt. Vickers Valentia crashed, whilst landing, it struck the aerodrome fence, turned over and caught fire, during night flying exercises, in co-operation with the Army. The most of the crew were killed; Sergeant Pilot R G Allan, LAC E Adams, A.C. 1 A G Hassall and AC 1 J White, along with Captain F E MacKay Barford, Essex Regiment, Captain H F G Symonds, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and Lieutenant D E Mackintosh, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. Those injured were; Flying Officer N de W Boult (Pilot), LAC T Sellars, Captain D S Cochrane, Royal Army Medical Corps, Captain J P Weir, Royal Army Medical Corps, Captain T Brodie, Cheshire Regiment and Lieutenant T L G Charles, Essex Regiment

Sergeant Pilot R G Allan was # 562407 , LAC E Adams was possibly # 560737 ?

HASSALL, Albert George, AC1

WHITE, John, AC1

LAC T Sellars I can't identity

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Fuller identification of casualties, here:

https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%201996.html

Col.

[HughAHalliday]

My thanks for this - particularly interesting for me because of the rare Canadian connection.

[Dusty Miller]

My uncle, William H Barrett 513026, served in the RAF at Helipolis with 216 Sqdn. at the time of the accident. He was a keen photographer and while visiting the crash site on 9 July, two days after the accident, he took a series of photographs of the wreckage. I believe he was there as part of the salvage operation. I have digital copies of his photographs and would be willing to post them here. As a new boy to this forum, and not wishing to loose this post as I did the other night when I tried to attach the photos, I will post them separately.
He was also in attendance at the funeral of the RAF personnel killed in this accident and I have 2 photographs of the interment ceremony.