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Wednesday 11 March 2020

Wellington III BK562,30 OTU RAF Sleighford in Staffordshire. Wilford Nottingham ,11th / 12th August 1944


On the night of 11th / 12th August 1944 Wellington III BK562,30 OTU took off with a crew of 4 on a night navigation exercise from RAF Sleighford in Staffordshire.
The plane flying east eventually arrived near Nottingham over the small village of Wilford but the flight had gone wrong the artificial horizon had failed in cloud soon after other vital instruments went AWOL loosing control the pilot managed to bail tragically the 3 other crew did not have the chance before the bomber impacted the Tennis courts /allotments on the corner of Vernon avenue and Coronation Avenue, Wilford.


The road was blocked near the Ferry Inn for sometime by recovery operations later the site was covered by the building of St Patricks RC Church.
At the site today nothing remains but the names of the streets and the Inn but as its a nice pub and a lovely walk by the Trent so still a site worth a look .

Crew =
F/o P.W.Clifton ,RAFVR [survived ]
Lost =
W/o J.W.J.Butler RAFVR
Sgt W.S.Owens RAFVR
Sgt D.E.Townsend RAFVR

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