1318882, Flight Sergeant (Pilot), Alan Sidney WOODBRIDGE
Aged 23
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Alan Sidney WOODBRIDGE was born on 15th August 1921 (Barnet Q3-1921 3A:775), son of Sidney Henry and Lilian WOODBRIDGE (née KNIBB).
In the 1939 register, an estate agent/auctioneer's clerk, he was at "Cingalee", Oakhurst Avenue, East Barnet with his mother Lilian [28-9-1887 and invalid sister Joan E [1-3-1916]. His father has not been identified. |
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1651 Heavy Conversion Unit was moved to RAF Wratting Common in November 1943, until 1st November 1944. They were equiped with Short Stirling
bombers, later replaced by Lancasters.
Thanks to www.johnknifton.com/tag/short-stirling, we have the story of this incident :- On August 18th 1944, with "D" Flight of No. 1651 Heavy Conversion Unit he was flying in a Short Stirling III, Serial Number LK519, Squadron Letters QQ-O. Taking off on a night exercise from Wratting Common at three minutes to ten the previous evening, the crew were returning at six minutes past two. They requested, and were given, permission to land, but then there were problems with the Stirling's immensely lofty and complicated undercarriage. For forty minutes, a tense dialogue took place between the aircraft and Flying Control. At three minutes to three, a garbled message came from the aircraft which was heard to contain the phrase “crash land”. The Stirling came in at tree top level, flying towards No 4 runway which already had a second Stirling parked on it, having suffered a burst tyre. In the resulting collision, the Trainee Pilot, Flight Sergeant Alan Woodbridge (aged 23) was killed. He was buried in his native village Up Nately, in Hampshire. Only Alan was killed, all the rest of the crew were injured.
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click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details
