Magister R1849

Miles Magister Mk.I R1849 (5), 15 E.F.T.S., RAF Kingstown
crashed High Long House, Kielder on 10th December 1941

Crew

Accident Details

The aircraft was on an aerobatic and navigation training exercise from RAF Kingstown on the outskirts of Carlisle when the pilot became lost above cloud and made a forced landing on the moorland above High Long House, close to an area known as Burnt Tom.

There is a brief mention of the crash in the unit records, but no an accident report appears to exist for the aircraft.  The incident is reported in the logbook of Eugeniusz Guziak, there is also local recall of the crash. The aircraft came down at 19:05 hours on 10th December 1941 and LAC Guziak was uninjured and taken to the farm of Mr Ted Turnbull at Bewshaugh, a special constable.

Bill Steel, who at the time of the crash lived at the neighbouring farm of Willowbog, recalls the crash of an open cockpit aircraft in the High Long House area and was taken to see it by his father. He recalls that the aircraft had been brought down from the fells to the farm. It was awaiting collection when he was lifted into the cockpit by a member of the recovery crew.

The only surviving document relating to the aircraft is the Form 78, otherwise known as the aircraft movement card, which records the aircrafts movement between units and records any damage it suffered. This document confirms that the aircraft had suffered damage in an accident on 17th January 1942. This however relates to a crash involving LAC Elmes who also became lost in poor visibility and made a forced landing. It seems likely that R1849 suffered only minor damage that wasn’t worth recording, or that it was put down in an area where a successful landing was possible.

The Crash Site

The area where the Magister came down has now forms part of Kielder Forest and as the aircraft likely suffered no damage, the chances of anything remaining are slim.