In the space of two days two young pilots lost their lives in Spitfires at a Norfolk airfield – as peace settled after the Second World War.
In the week after VE Day on May 8, 1945 the RAF lost 155 aircraft due to accidents or adverse weather conditions and 133 lives.
On May 9, six aircrew and 24 released prisoners of war were killed when the Lancaster they were travelling in spun out of control and crashed in France.
Two of the 36 aircraft that crashed in that week were nearer to home because they were based at RAF Ludham with 91 'Nigeria' Squadron flying the Spitfire F 21. They were named 'Nigeria' Squadron because Nigeria had bought their aircraft.
Martham man William Buck researches wartime aircraft crashes and has unearthed two tragedies which cost the lives of two 22-year-olds – after peace had fallen.
'Nigeria' Squadron moved to Ludham from Manston in Kent in April 1945. They were the first squadron to operate the new Spitfire. Eighteen aircraft arrived at Ludham on April 8 along with a mixed bag of pilots from America, France, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
They were to carry out armed reconnaissance patrols over German-occupied Netherlands and maritime reconnaissance patrols searching for midget submarines, one of the last threats to allied shipping.
The next day they attended a party at RAF Coltishall before carrying out their first operational mission on April 10, an armed reconnaissance flight over the Netherlands, but unfortunately two aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed into the sea off Den Helder.
The pilots bailed out and were rescued and returned to Ludham uninjured. They were back flying within a few days.
They continued to carry their patrols, without further losses,
until May 8 when the war in Europe ended and operational flying ceased at Ludham. Training continued
with cross country flights, air to air firing exercises and aerobatics until they moved out of Ludham on July 13.
Three days after VE Day the chief test pilot for Vickers Armstrong, Alex Henshaw, visited Ludham and performed an aerobatic display.
One of the manoeuvres was just after takeoff, after gaining a few hundred feet, he performed two barrel rolls.
On May 12, Flying Officer Geoffrey Kay took off from Ludham in Spitfire LA200 on a training flight and he tried to carry out the same manoeuvre.
Although shortly after takeoff he successfully carried out one roll he lost control while attempting the second and the aircraft crashed just off the runway, killing him.
Two days later, Flight Lieutenant Arthur Elcock was returning from a training flight and while landing in a cross wind his Spitfire LA203 flipped over and crashed about 100 yards from where Kay's had crashed – he too was killed.
Elcock was known as 'Big Elcock' and he was a 91 Squadron 'Diver Ace'. You became an 'Ace' after scoring three victories.
A 'Diver' was the name given to the V1 flying bomb and from June to September 1944, 91 Squadron was tasked with shooting these down. Elcock had shot down seven and shared one other. These were the last casualties of 91 Squadron.
Flying Officer Geoffrey Kay RAFVR, aged 22 was the son of Mr and Mrs L Kay of Sheffield and he is buried in the Sheffield Abbey Lane Cemetery.
Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richard Elcock RAFVR was also 22. He was the son of Percy Vivian and Susan Pamela Elcock of Smethwick, and husband of Joyce Helen Elcock of Smethwick. He is buried at Smethwick Uplands Cemetery.
Have you made any wartime discoveries or uncovered something new about Norfolk's history? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk
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