A work trip out to Abingdon in Oxfordshire meant a
trip out to a very sad site.
July 6th 1965 Handley Page Hastings C1A TG577 sat
waiting at RAF Abingdon for its passengers .
TG577 had
taken off from its home base at RAF Colerne, Wiltshire for Abingdon to pick up
35 men for a training parachute drop over RAF Weston on the Green.
The men walked out in the warm afternoon to board
the Hastings as final checks were carried out by the 6 crew. Taking off TG577
climbed away at 4 pm with 2 Argosy aircraft but the Hastings was in trouble. In the tail 2
upper bolts holding the elevator had suffered fatigue failure, the loading of
excessive forces meant the 2 lower bolts failed almost immediately after
causing a total loss of control, the crew struggled to gain height but sadly
the plane stalled.
Falling inverted the Hastings impacted a field next
to the hamlet of Little Baldon bursting into flames there were no survivors of
the 41 on board.
The shock in the services was widely felt, the men came from the RAF and Army and included 8 RAF parachute jump instructors, 3
RAF air loadmasters, three NCO's and seven Parachute Regiment recruits, 1 Royal
artillery gunner Airborne Forces and 2 were members of the RAF Falcons display
team.
At the site today nothing shows of this terrible
day but nearby in the small church of St Lawrence in Toots Baldon a memorial
was dedicated on the 9th April 1967.
Those lost on TG577=
F/Lieutenant John Akin
F/Officer Christopher John Payne
F/Lieutenant Herbert Roy Scott
Sgt Graham George Blake
Fl/Sgt Michael David Charles Boyles
Master Air Quartermaster Peter Samuel John Timms
F/Lieutenant William Peter Roden
Sgt John Hurry
Sgt Peter Clifton
Sgt James Ian Borthwick
Sgt Philip Michael Way
Sgt John Joseph McGartland
Sgt Anthony Evans
Sgt Michael Charles Palmer
F/Sgt Austin Ralph Casey
F/Sgt Joseph William Robinson
Sgt Colin David Holmes
F/Lieutenant David George Stephens
F/Lieutenant George Joseph Taylor
Students on TG577
Officer Royston John Legg
P/Officer Thomas Issac Adams
P/Officer Alan William Henry Turner
Corporal Dennis Joseph Bayliss
Corporal John Raymond Smith
Corporal Anthony Charles Lee
Corporal Alexander Morris Telfer
Junior Technician Paul Glynne Williams
Senior Aircraftman Anthony John Sykes
Leading Aircraftman Michael Raymond Ireland
Colour Sergeant Bernard Joseph Houghman Colour Sergeant Thomas Peverley Alderson
Sgt Harry Ellis
Private Duncan John Stewart
Private William Geoffrey Hilditch
Private Colin Bassom
Private Terence Ralph Brett
Private Robin Andrews
Private Michael David Walker
Private Anthony Arthur Blackman
Gunner Thomas Cooper
At the site today nothing shows of this terrible day but nearby in the small church of St Lawrence in Toots Baldon a memorial was dedicated on the 9th April 1967.
Those lost on TG577=
F/Lieutenant John Akin
F/Officer Christopher John Payne
F/Lieutenant Herbert Roy Scott
Sgt Graham George Blake
Fl/Sgt Michael David Charles Boyles
Master Air Quartermaster Peter Samuel John Timms
F/Lieutenant William Peter Roden
Sgt John Hurry
Sgt Peter Clifton
Sgt James Ian Borthwick
Sgt Philip Michael Way
Sgt John Joseph McGartland
Sgt Anthony Evans
Sgt Michael Charles Palmer
F/Sgt Austin Ralph Casey
F/Sgt Joseph William Robinson
Sgt Colin David Holmes
F/Lieutenant David George Stephens
F/Lieutenant George Joseph Taylor
Students on TG577
Officer Royston John Legg
P/Officer Thomas Issac Adams
P/Officer Alan William Henry Turner
Corporal Dennis Joseph Bayliss
Corporal John Raymond Smith
Corporal Anthony Charles Lee
Corporal Alexander Morris Telfer
Junior Technician Paul Glynne Williams
Senior Aircraftman Anthony John Sykes
Leading Aircraftman Michael Raymond Ireland
Colour Sergeant Bernard Joseph Houghman Colour Sergeant Thomas Peverley Alderson
Sgt Harry Ellis
Private Duncan John Stewart
Private William Geoffrey Hilditch
Private Colin Bassom
Private Terence Ralph Brett
Private Robin Andrews
Private Michael David Walker
Private Anthony Arthur Blackman
Gunner Thomas Cooper
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