De Havilland Mosquito NF Mk.II DD753, 54 O.T.U., RAF Charterhall
crashed The Curr, Cheviot Hills on 12th December 1944
Crew
| Position | Rank/Title | Full Name | Age | Service Number | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Flt Lt | Henry John Medcalf | 27 | 131074 | Fatal |
| Nav | F/O | Ronald Edward Bellamy | 21 | 154591 | Fatal |
Accident Details
The aircraft took off at 21:50 hrs was on a night interception exercise when from RAF Charterhall when, 20 minutes later, it flew into the northern slopes of The Curr and broke up over the flank of the hill killing the two crew.
The primary cause was given as the pilot not keeping an adequate check on his position in relation to base and drifting into an area of cloud covered high ground. The cloud base at the time was 1,400ft and the aircraft struck the hillside at an altitude of 1,700ft in level flight.
The Crash Site
Considering the wooden construction of the Mosquito, quite large sections of wreckage still remain at the crash site. At the main impact area are remains of one of the undercarriage legs, whilst further to the west there is a pit containing sections of armour plate and nacelle panels. Just to the east of the main site, on the opposite side of the fence, is another pit with sections poking out of the ground.
It is believed the two pits are where the Merlin engines were blown up and buried by the salvage crew, the aircraft having first struck along the flank of the hill whilst flying from west to east.
