Monument record MBC48573 - WORLD WAR II RAF AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE, BROOK FARM

A Second World War RAF Wellington bomber aircraft crash site is visible on historic aerial photographs an remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of the Aylesbury Vale Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18604). Located in a field immediately adjacent Brook Farm and centred at SP 76548 22922, documentary evidence places the crash site of RAF Vickers Wellington bomber HE740 here. The aircraft belonged to No 11 Operational Training Unit at RAF Westcott and the crew were finishing their training. On the evening of 4th January 1945 the aircraft had just taken off on a cold and cloudy night for a for a routine night navigation exercise when it fell from 5,000 feet ten minutes after takeoff. Three of the crew were Royal New Zealand Air Force: the pilot, Flight Sergeant M. Reece (21), wireless operator, Flight Sergeant D. McLennan (21), bomber, Flight Sergeant A.Bolger (23). Other British crew were Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve: the navigator, Sergeant I. Smith (22), air gunner Sergeant J.Wenham (19) and air gunner Sergeant R. Price (19). The cause of the crash is unknown, but the official enquiry concluded that the mechanical failure was most likely. The documented site of the aircraft crash is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947, only 2 years after the crash. Medieval/post medieval ridge and furrow cultivation earthworks cover the crash site field, and there is no real sign of disturbance except for a slight linear ‘divot’ on the E side about 21 metres wide. Even on recent remote sensing data the ridge and furrow earthworks appear remarkably undisturbed given the nature and size of the bomber crash. If the aircraft had crashed at a low angle, one might expect it to have cut a gash through the cultivation ridges as it slew across the field. The official enquiry concluded that the aircraft went out of control and dived into the ground and burnt out. If it had indeed crashed from a high angle, one might expect a large impact hole to have been created, rather than a slight dent in the cultivation ridges (1-4).