1941 On 4 December 1941 at 15:30,
Fairey Battle Mk I
L5784, operated by No. 56 Operational Training Unit at
RAF Sutton Bridge, was engaged in a training exercise at the Holbeach Air Gunnery and Bombing Range. During the sortie, the aircraft overshot its intended target and subsequently force-landed in a nearby field. The pilot, Sergeant G. L. Bradley, was uninjured. The sortie occurred in late afternoon light, shortly before
sunset, with conditions approaching
civil twilight. Reduced daylight may have affected target acquisition and contributed to the overshoot.
1952 On 21 May 1952,
Gloster Meteor F.8
WF745, operated by the Central Gunnery School (CGS) at
RAF Leconfield, crashed at Holbeach Air Gunnery and Bombing Range after stalling during a simulated attack on a towed "flag" target. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled dive and impacted the sea. The pilot, Sergeant David Herapath Tinker of
No. 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron,
Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), was killed.
1953 On 28 July 1953,
de Havilland Venom FB.1
WE261, operated by the
Central Fighter Establishment (CFE) at
RAF West Raynham, suffered a catastrophic in-flight breakup during a ground-attack trial at RAF Holbeach Bombing Range. The aircraft had been airborne for approximately eleven minutes following take-off. During a firing pass over the range, witnesses observed an explosion in the starboard wing root area. The starboard wing mainplane detached, followed by the complete disintegration of the airframe. The pilot,
Flight Lieutenant Michael Edward Whitworth-Jones DFC, aged 27, was killed. Whitworth-Jones had been awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the
Korean War, during which he flew Gloster Meteor F.8s with
No. 77 Squadron RAAF in 1952–53. The incident was attributed to structural failure; however, the precise cause could not be determined. It remains possible that the explosion reported by witnesses was the result of a premature detonation of one of the
rocket projectiles (RPs) carried under the wing.
1957 On 13 May 1957,
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak 52-7103, operated by the
81st Fighter-Bomber Wing at
RAF Bentwaters,
United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE), crashed at RAF Holbeach Bombing Range during a training exercise. The aircraft entered a steep dive and impacted the ground; the pilot was killed. Further details of the incident are not known.
1960 On 4 April 1960,
North American F-100 Super Sabre 56-2994, operated by the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing (20 TFW) at
RAF Wethersfield, United States Air Forces Europe (USAFE), crashed at RAF Holbeach Bombing Range during a training exercise. The pilot was killed. No further details of the incident are known.
1963 On 15 July 1963 at 12.45 pm, two North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft from the
492nd Fighter Squadron, based at
RAF Lakenheath,
collided mid-air over the RAF Holbeach Bombing Range. First Lieutenant Donald Ware, aged 27, from
Idaho, was killed. The surviving pilot, First Lieutenant Marshall, aged 26, was rescued by an RAF helicopter from
RAF Coltishall. He resided in
Isleham, Cambridgeshire. The
RNLI Skegness lifeboat was deployed as part of a search and rescue operation and remained active for four hours.
1979 On 8 November 1979,
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3
XV756, operated by
No. 1 Squadron RAF at
RAF Wittering, crashed at RAF Holbeach Bombing Range during a training exercise. Flight Lieutenant Ross Boyens successfully
ejected. Following an RAF investigation, Boyens attributed the incident to engine failure caused by damage from a
30mm target practice (TP) ammunition round fired from his own aircraft during a strafing run. Unlike high-explosive (HE) or armour-piercing (AP) variants, target practice (TP) ammunition is solid and prone to
ricochet. In 1985, he flew as Red 6, one of the Synchro Pair. Originally from
New Zealand, he resided in
Scothern. On 12 December 1979, at approximately 7:00 pm, USAF
General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark 68-0045, assigned to the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing at
RAF Upper Heyford, crashed into the sea in
The Wash, within the RAF Holbeach Bombing Range, during a
low-toss night practice bombing sortie. Range personnel witnessed the aircraft dive into the water before the crew could activate the
escape capsule.
Gale-force conditions delayed the discovery of wreckage for two days. Both crew members were killed: Captain Randolph P. Gaspard, aged 31, of
Harvey, Louisiana, and Major Frank B. Slusher, aged 35, of
Cincinnati, Ohio. A search and rescue operation was conducted involving the RNLI Skegness lifeboat and RAF helicopters from
Manston and
Coltishall.
1983 On 28 October 1983, Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3
XV742, operated by No. 233 Operational Conversion Unit RAF, crashed during a training exercise at RAF Holbeach Bombing Range. The pilot, 24-year-old
Flying Officer John Richard Sewell, from
Blundellsands, was killed.
2006 On 24 October 2006, at approximately 11:04 am,
Panavia Tornado GR4A ZG711, operated by RAF Marham, crashed into the intertidal mudflats of Holbeach Air Weapons Range during a routine weapons training exercise. The incident was attributed to multiple
bird strikes. Ejection was initiated approximately four seconds prior to impact. According to the official investigation report, the crew's injuries were attributed to the limited time available to adopt an appropriate ejection posture. ==References==