Harold Clark.
Rank Flight Sergeant (Pilot).
Service Number 1023954.
Regiment Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Date Of Death 20th March 1943.
Age 28..
Grave Refernce Sec. A. 3290.
Parents Harry and Bertha Clark.
Married Kathleen Louise Broome.
Rank Flight Sergeant (Pilot).
Service Number 1023954.
Regiment Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Date Of Death 20th March 1943.
Age 28..
Grave Refernce Sec. A. 3290.
Parents Harry and Bertha Clark.
Married Kathleen Louise Broome.
Harold Clark was aboard an Airspeed Oxford DF477 of the RAF College when it collided with the cables from a Barrage Balloon. The plane crashed at Mottrams Farm Ashbank Cheshire. Two planes hit the same cables that afternoon, the crews from both planes perished.
Other members of crew that died -
F/O Pilot Albert E Wheeler 50363 DFC
LAC Pilot John G Stoneham 1396881
LAC Frank E Huges 1394561
From RAF Cranage ORB ( Cranage is a few miles away from Crewe). ...... Further info...... Other documents state Cranwell not Cranage/
March 20th 1943 Medical Secton approximately 15.30 hr. In the course of this afternoon two aircraft one a Wellington from RAF Lichfield and one an Oxford from RAF Cranwell, crashed after hitting Balloon Cables at Crewe. All eight from the Wellington and four from the Oxford were killed. Bodies were transferred to this station 21st March 1943 and burial arrangements carried out from here.
Further information kindly received from Steve Bratt.
Harold was 2nd pilot on a training flight which crashed near the Rolls Royce
(now Bentley) factory at the western edge of Crewe killing all 4 on board.
Crewe was surrounded by a network of barrage balloons and although they were
marked on RAF maps there is evidence that the maps were not distributed to
all that needed to see them, and that version control was not good so some
may have had teh wrong map. But it got worse...
On 20th March 1943 the plane had taken off from RAF Sealand at Chester to
return to RAF College Cranwell (not Cranage as shown in some sources). At
about the time it took off the ballon unit received orders to raise the
balloons to 3 times their normal flying height as a training exercise. Once
that height had been achieved RAF Fighter Command was sent a telex - but by
then the plane was almost at Crewe and even if Fighter Command normally
broadcast warnings (doubtful) they wouldn't have had time. Almost
immediately a Wellington bomber on a training flight from Lichfield was
brought down and crashed, exploding on impact and killing the entire crew. 6
minutes later Harolds plane arrived, distracted by the burning wreckage and
unaware of the situation with the balloons it was also brought down. In
total twelve people killed in 6 minutes.
This followed a 1941 incident when a Wellington with 10 on board got into
difficulties with the balloons and was then fired at by an anti aircraft
unit and crashed a little further north killing everyone.
All 3 planes crashed into the same small parish council area and on June 4th
all 22 names will be added to their war memorial at a ceremony where some of
the relatives will be present, including a lot of Harold's - he left 2
daughters who later had their own kids, one of which became a Red Arrow!
© Susan Tydd 2010
Please do not reproduce without permission