More information : [Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V night bomber; one of a batch of 157 delivered between February and July 1942] Crashed in sea on navex near Holy Island, Northumberland, 19.8.42. (1)
`Friday 19th August 1942, 1546hrs. Whitley Mk V BD233 of 3 OTU RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, was carrying out a navigational exercise when it approached Low Newton from the sea. It then turned north towards Beadnell beach, passing low over Links House, crashing just south of the Long Nanny burn...As it careered over the dunes and sand it cut a pathway through the rough grass, totally breaking up in the progress [sic].
`Crew: 1186862 Sgt Stanley John Collett, pilot; 1190114 Sgt Bernard Richard Ridett, 2nd pilot. All 6 crew were killed.
`Note: A lady residing locally at the time of the crash recalled the following facts:- "The aircraft had a large section of ship's mast and chain entangled in one undercarriage leg, which was seen to be hanging down before the crash. The pilot had also been wounded in one eye by a bullet."
`I [the author] think a possible explanation of the crash could be, the Whitley had been fired on by friendly naval vessels, as it flew too close to them.
`On 4th January 1997, my wife and I were on Beadnell beach and discovered the main wheel tyre from a Whitley. The tyre is now on display in the Bamburgh Castle Aviation Artefacts Museum and it believe it to be from this aircraft.' (2)
Builder: Armstong Whitley (1)(2)(3)
Where Built: Baginton (1)
Propulsion: 2 Rolls-Royce Merlin X inline piston engines (3)
HP: each engine 1145hp (3)
Armament: 0.303in (7.7mm) gun in nose & tail turret; maximum bomb load of 7000lb, usually comprising 14 x 500lb bombs (3)
Delivered: 1942 (1)
Unit: 3 Operational Training Unit (1); 3 OTU, RAF Cranwell (2)
Crew: 6 (2)
Crew Lost: 6 (2)
Date of Loss Qualifier: A
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