Short Stirling N6075
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Short Stirling N6075 on Merryton Low
13th July 1942. Partly crewed by Canadian airmen, Stirling bomber N6075 was on a navigation exercise from RAF Oakington near Cambridge when it crashed on the hill of Merryton Low near Leek in Staffordshire.
One of those on board, Flight Sergeant Dolphin, was a ground crewman, a passenger along for the ride. In all probability, 19 year old pilot Sergeant Morrison wanted to give the passenger a bit of a treat, and flew to F/Sgt Dolphin’s home town of Biddulph where the Stirling was seen flying low a few times over his house. Sgt Morrison then turned back towards Cambridge, but flying in cloud and still too low he failed to clear the nearby hill and crashed the aircraft. All 8 on board were killed.
The view above is looking back along the line of flight towards Biddulph.
CREW
Sgt Roderick Urquhart Morrison, RAFVR
F/Sgt John Richard Griffin RCAF
F/Sgt. James Frederick Hirst RCAF
F/Sgt. Thorstein Enevold Helgesen RCAF
F/Sgt Leo Joseph Regimbal RCAF
F/Sgt John Ellis Williams RAFVR
F/Sgt William Anthony George Atkins RAFVR
F/Sgt Edgar Dolphin RAFVR (passenger)
Below, How the crash site looked when I visited in 2010. The view is looking along the aircraft’s line of approach.
The fragments of debris around the metal cross had all gone when I visited October 2021. Cunningham commented in 2005 that there was less to be seen compared with a visit he made two years earlier.
However, some remains are still to be found in the gully above and below the cross, such as this fragment
Grid reference from UK Air Crash Site Coordinates, SK 03808 61161
My name is Richard Gatto. Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. I am writing on February 16, 2024.
My uncle RCAF Sergeant-Observer E.A. Recchia whilst on a training-observation mission in a Sterling Short, 15 Squadron, was killed in a crash in the vicinity of Norfolk, England on October 29, 1942. Body with other commonwealth aircrew is buried in Markham, Yorkshire.
I do know that elsewhere in the scanty records that I have he is also listed as a wireless operator/air gunner.
Any other information at all would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Richard, I will have a look in what books I have, if I can determine any further details I will let you know.
Ian
My Mum’s late aunt Annie Dolphin (nee Bradbury) was the wife of the passenger Edgar Dolphin.
They lived in Biddulph and had only been married for 3 years.
The pilot flew over their home a number of times so that Edgar could see his home and let Annie know he was close to her. Heartbraking.. she loved him dearly
That’s very sad to read, Sally.
Thank you for adding more detail to this history.
Ian