Wellington Mk.III Z1566 of No.75 Squadron RNZAF, crashed at Grindon in Staffordshire during the night of the 22nd May 1942

Vickers Wellington Mk.X at the Royal Air Force Museum

 

Andrew Donald Mckay Pilot Officer RNZAF Pilot Killed
James Wilfred Beaven Sergeant RNZAF Observer Killed
Wilfred Hurbert Smeaton Sergeant RNZAF Observer Killed
John William Bode Sergeant RAFVR Wireless Operator / Air Gunner Killed
Cyril Hayton Sergeant RAFVR Air Gunner Killed
Sidney John Chappell Flight Sergeant RNZAF Air Gunner Injured

 

The crew where on a night cross country flight from Feltwell when according the accident card they had flown into un-forecast bad weather and while trying to descend through the cloud to determine their position the aircraft struck the ground near Grindon and broke up over a wide area with the front end of the aircraft being the most broken up section.  Of the parts found at the crash site that were identifiable most were from the cockpit area, they were spread across almost the entire field indicating the front end of the aircraft was completely destroyed as the aircraft slid across the field.

The New Zealand personnel who were killed in the crash were all buried on the 28th May at Buxton Cemetery, the service was conducted by No.28 Maintenance Unit, whose medical staff had also attended the crash site.

Crash site of Vickers Wellington Z1566 at Grindon, Staffordshire, in September 2004
A view of the crash site of Z1566, it struck some distance to the right of this photograph and came to rest in the centre of the photo.
Newspaper article about the crash from Your Leek Paper
In early April 2006 Sydney Chappell’s daughter, Kathy, while visiting Europe from New Zealand with her husband Mike visited the site of the crash site of Z1566, the visit was recorded by Your Leek Paper in the following week’s edition.

 

Of the five crew men who were killed in the crash, four were buried at Buxton cemtery, the fifth Cyril Hayton was buried at Newcastle (Heaton & Byker) cemetery.

Grave of Pilot Officer Andrew Donald Mckay at Buxton Cemetery, Derbyshire

Grave of Sergeant James Wilfred Beaven at Buxton Cemetery, Derbyshire

Grave of Sergeant Wilfred Hurbert Smeaton at Buxton Cemetery, Derbyshire

Grave of Sergeant John William Bode at Buxton Cemetery, Derbyshire Grave of Sergeant Cyril Hayton at Heaton & Byker Cemetery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne