North American Harvard Mk.2B FT401 of No.22 FTS, crashed on Little Knock near Tweedsmuir on the 16th January 1953

The aircraft was an RAF Harvard Mk.IIB from No.22 Flying Training School at Syerston near Newark but was being used by a detachment at Anthorn.

Midshipman Wadham, a trainee Royal Navy pilot stationed at RNAS Anthorn in Cumbria though assigned to HMS Fulmar, was briefed to fly an aerobatics practice flight followed by QGH controlled descent practice. He took off at 12:03 and made contact with the air traffic controller at Anthorn to notify him he was airborne. After this there was no further contact from Msm Wadham, despite an order requiring contact every 20 minutes.

The aircraft was next seen at 12:40 by a shepherd as it over flew Tweedsmuir at a height he estimated to be 50 to 100 feet before turning south along one of the valleys just to the east of the village. Shortly after he heard a bang and immediately assumed that it had crashed. Two hours later the crash site was located by another shepherd close to the summit of Little Knock.

The accident report concluded that the aircraft had struck while in a steep climb on the opposite side of the ridge it struck. The aircraft 'bounced' over the summit before its port wing dug in and caused the wreck to cart-wheel and come to rest inverted. Another fact that was determined was that a friend of the pilot lived in a house very close to the point where he turned south up the valley. It states "from the accounts of eye witnesses and examination of the wreckage it would appear that Mid. Wadham was “beating up” his friends house against orders and that when endeavouring to climb away up a small narrow blind valley the aircraft was unable to obtain sufficient height to clear the hill tops which were in cloud and flew into the hills". 

Above is the largest single piece of wreckage, the inverted inboard section of the starboard wing.

Adjacent to the section of wing is a pit containing many parts of the aircraft. In the background is part of the lower engine cowl and another section of wing. Also visible is an old and very rusty shovel. This was in the bottom of the hole and was possibly left by the personnel who dug the pit.

This is the view towards Great Knock and Broad Law with the crash site in the foreground.

Lower down the hill are the remains of the engine firewall and forward fuselage structure.

Close to the track below the site is this cowl panel, it is from the starboard side from just behind the engine.

It is visible in the photograph of the complete Harvard as the panel behind the air scoop level with the propeller.

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