On a work trip to the south I managed to find a few minutes to look for the site of the loss of a No.1 OTU Hudson.
Hudson T9320 from 1OTU RAF Siloth, Cumbria was sat waiting to take off from RAF Eastleigh, Hampshire on the afternoon of the 15th of August 1940. The plane with 9 on board 8 of whom RAF and one civilian from the Sperry Company, was to fly back to Siloth via RAF Northolt and return with crew who had been ferrying another aircraft to Eastleigh.
The pilot, talking with a civilian and the Air Watch Officer was told that it was not advisable to leave as an air raid was expected and a ‘Yellow’ state of warning was in effect, the pilot anxious to get away before the raid started decided to go and the Hudson taxied out.
Lifting off the pilot climbed the Hudson to 700ft but tragically ahead the 924th Balloon Squadron had just finished raising the barrage balloons to their operational height . T9320 struck one of the cables which severely damaged the plane and falling almost immediately, the Hudson impacted No 199 and 197 Nutbeem Road, Eastleigh destroying both houses and the plane. All on board were lost and sadly a large part of the plane fell onto No 195, this took the lives of the two occupants Thomas & Ellen Craig.
On the street today nothing shows to tell of this accident the houses were rebuilt and all traces long gone.
Those on board T9320=
S/Ldr W.G.A.Coulson
F/O R.H.Immelman
P/O A.P.Davis
P/O B.N.Whittle
Sgt A.M.Froud
Sgt D.B.Cowie
Sgt J.Barlow
AC2 A.Taylor
Mr J.S.Whittaker [ Sperry Representative]
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