STIFF, Frederick Charles


No.931202, Warrant Officer, Frederick Charles STIFF
Aged 34


201 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died in air accident on 24th July 1946


Frederick Charles Stiff was born in Hartest on 13th Novewmber 1911 (4th qtr 1894 Sudbury 4a:Jun27) son of William Robert and Margaret Bessie STIFF (née LINN)

In 1939 register his father was manager of the Bell Inn in Hartest.
He married Hilda ? The marriage details have not been found, Their address was Maple House, The Green, Hurworth on Tees.

His brother George Edward, also in the the RAFVR died in Japan in captivity see here


He was at the Central Gunnery School at Leconsfield, Yorkshire and was killed when on a training flight, trim problmes caused the Vickers Wellington MkIII to dive into the ground at Wykeham Abbey.

This comprehensive report is from http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/yorksother/bj895.html

Wellington BJ895 at Wykeham Abbey, near Scarborough.
At 15.35hrs on 24th July 1946 this Central Gunnery School aircraft took off from Leconfield airfield for its crew to carry out a fighter affiliation exercise with a Spitfire (Spitfire TD236, of "F" Flight piloted by S/Ldr Leonard A Wood). The aircraft flew in a northerly direction, met up with the Spitfire over Driffield and then, owing to low cloud, the exercises were carried out at 10,000 feet over the Scarborough area. On board the Wellington was a pilot, a gunnery instructor and three trainee air gunners. During the exercise the Wellington was practicing taking evasive action when attacked by the fighter, it was thought that the pilot of the Wellington was making such a turn downwards, believed to have been the last of the exercise, but immediately after the last attack the Wellington went into a near vertical dive from between 6,000 and 7,000 feet from which it did not recover. At 16.45hrs the aircraft crashed into the grounds of Wykeham Abbey and while not catching fire it disintegrated on impact creating a large crater. All five on board stood no chance, they were killed instantly and the body of one of the crew was never found. The list or airmen below shows their trades as CWGC give. The resulting crash investigation reported that the aircraft had been reported as being nose-heavy in the weeks leading up to the crash but it was checked but was passed as serviceable on the day of this crash. The investigation listed a number of previous incidents when the aircraft had been inspected. It had been used in the prototype bouncing bomb trials and had its bomb doors removed for this but was later converted back to a "normal" Wellington and on 1st December 1943 repairs were completed at Vickers factory, Weybridge. On 17th July 1946 it was test flown and rear doors found locked up. A day later on 18th July 1946 it was test flown and the elevator trim for level flight was found incorrectly set, the cables were adjusted for correct movement. On 23rd July 1946 it was flown by F/Lt Meikle, who reported the aircraft nose heavy and the port engine was running slow. Extra ballast was added and the port engine revs were adjusted. On 24th July 1946 it was flown by W/O Schwedoski, who reported aircraft was satisfactory (he would be killed soon after in a crash at Appleton le Moors just a few days after this incident at Wykeham) but later that day the fatal crash at Wykeham occurred. The crash report concluded that the aircraft should never have been in the air on the day because of known problems with it.
Pilot (Instructor?)- WO Roland Harrison RAFVR (1606786), aged 25, of High Wycombe. Buried High Wycombe Cemetery, Buckinghamshire.
Air Gunnery Instructor - F/Lt John Christopher Haldon MiD RAFVR (161008), aged 26, wife of Chideock, Dorset. Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Air Gunner - WO Frederick Charles Stiff RAFVR (931202), aged 34, of Hartest, Suffolk. Buried Hartest Cemetery, Suffolk.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Peter Ingram RAFVR (1604044), aged 22, of Fulham, London. Buried Fulham Palace Road Cemetery, London.
Wireless Operator / Mechanic (Air) - WO John Forest Armstrong RAFVR (1867735), aged 21, of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. Cremated Darlington, Co.Durham.


It is not widely known that BJ895 was the actual aircraft used for test drops of the famous Barnes-Wallis designed "bouncing bombs" that were later used by 617 Squadron RAF during the "Dambuster Raids" ("Operation Chastise"). Test drops of the "bouncing bomb" rook place off Reculver, Kent, from 13-04-1943. The footage of the test drops was later de-classified, and released to the makers of the 1954 film "The Dam Busters".





Stiff memorial Litany desk in All Saints Church



Frederick Stiff is buried in Hartest (All Saints) Churchyard grave 219

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


BACK