On 22nd November 1948, a Lancastrian aircraft belonging to Tarrant Rushton based Flight Refuelling crashed in foggy weather near Andover, Hampshire. It had strayed off course, struck trees on a hill, crashed and caught fire. It came down in Conholt Park, Chute on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border and as it descended it tore down trees for about a quarter of a mile. Fortunately, the aircraft was just able to avoid a row of cottages in which one family was eating their tea.
The aircraft (G-AHJW) was on charter from Flight Refuelling to British European Airways and was taking part in the Berlin Airlift. G-AHJW was
returning from Wunstorf RAF station to its Dorset base. The only survivor was
the Canadian radio operator who was thrown out the escape hatch with his
clothes alight as the Lancastrian burst into flames. The Canadian suffered from
both burns and severe shock.
G-AHJW was a former Lancaster bomber which had been converted
to become a tanker aircraft. Rescue workers were hampered in their work by the
dark and the fog and the aircraft proved to be too damaged to be repaired.
In Andover, there is a memorial to the seven aircrew and passengers
who lost their lives in this flight back to Tarrant Rushton. The Berlin Airlift
had placed a huge burden on Allied aircrews whose task was to keep the citizens
of Berlin supplied with food and fuel during the 1948/49 Russian blockade of
the city. Aircrews from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand
& Britain all took part in the Airlift.
(Illustration: Lancastrian aircraft)
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