27th February 1943 – 103 Squadron, RAF Elsham Wolds – Avro Lancaster I - W4857 – F/L Richard N Stubbs DFC DFM RAFVR and crew – Fighter affiliation demonstration.
Location – In the grounds of Elsham Hall near Elsham Village, North Lincs.
F/L Stubbs ( pictured above in the middle with his 9 Squadron crew ) was an experienced pilot who had completed 2 tours with 75 Squadron and 9 Squadron and had been decorated with a DFC and DFM. At the time of the crash he was attached to the Air Fighting Development Unit.
I believe that after carrying out a fighter affiliation practice with a new 103 Squadron crew he landed at Elsham Wolds to demonstrate how an experienced pilot would do it accompanied by the crew in question, F/O Lee-Brown and crew.
The demonstration took place off the coast at a height of 6000 ft during which Stubbs was taking violent evasive action. During this the port fin collapsed inward and struck the port elevator which became detached. Stubbs headed the aircraft back to base and ordered the crew to bale out. Stubbs attempted to land at Elsham Wolds, aborted and then climbed steeply during which with starboard fin and elevator collapsed. The aircraft dived into the ground and burst into flames killing the pilot.
The Accident Report says the inspection at the scene showed that the aircraft crashed into a wood situated one and a half miles south of the airfield. The examination of the tail unit revealed that both elevators and the top half of the starboard rudder were missing. The port elevator came off when the aircraft was about one mile offshore. The starboard elevator and rudder came off shortly before impact occurred and were found about three quarters of a mile along the flight path.
The port tailplane was relatively intact in the wreckage. The port fin had collapsed inboard and then twisted round and was trailing behind the rear tailplane spar. When this happened it is believed it struck the port elevator and caused it to become detached. The port rudder had broken in two parts and was lying on the ground beside the fin. The starboard tailplane had telescoped on impact.
The starboard fin and lower portions of the rudder were lying about 10 yards away. The fin had failed inwards during flight. When the fin failed the top portion of the rudder and starboard elevator became detached.
The report concludes that the accident was the result of the collapse of the port fin when the aircraft was being manoeuvred during the exercise. The accident was similar to one which happened quite recently. Modifications had been decided on but 103 Squadron had not started to incorporate this modification which entailed strengthening of the rear fin posts. The aircraft in question was therefore unmodified.
F/L Richard Noel Stubbs DFC DFM RAFVR – Pilot – 22 - Air Fighting Development Unit - Son of Noel and Rachel Stubbs, of Stone, Staffordshire – Hull Crematorium, East Yorkshire.
Some years ago the Hull Crematorium was closed and was replaced by another crematorium at the Hull Northern Cemetery called the Chanterlands Crematorium. I believe Richard Stubbs is commemorated on a plaque at the new site but was unable to gain access when I visited to check
His loss was noted in the Squadron ORB and deeply regretted.
Lancaster – W4857
This machine flew the following operations
07-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4857 – Sgt AS Cook RAAF – ER - Winds incorrectly computed.
11-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
13-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
14-Feb-43 – Milan – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
16-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
18-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
21-Feb-43 – Bremen – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
25-Feb-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
26-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4857 – P/O CR Blumenauer
Written by David Fell. Photo of Stubbs' 9 Squadron crew courtesy of the International Bomber Command Centre/W A Colson DFM item
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