EDMONDS Edward Holmes

Born 28th November 1922.

Coventry Evening Telegraph, 4th March 1955:
CRASHED R.A.F. OFFICER DIES
Flight-Lieut. Frederick William Seaman, signals officer in an R.A.F. Hastings Aircraft which crashed at Boscombe Down airfield (Wilts), on Wednesday, died to-day in hospital at Salisbury.
The condition of Flight-Lieutenant A. J. Mills, the flight engineer, who was injured, was to-day stated to be improved after a quiet night, and that of the pilot, Flight-Lieutenant K. J. Chase, also injured, was satisfactory.
The navigator, Flight-Lieutenant Edward Holmes Edmonds (32), was killed in the crash. Two civilians aboard escaped injury.
Flight-Lieutenant Seaman was 35. Flight-Lieutenant Chase’s injuries included a broken arm, lacerations, and concussion. Flight-Lieutenant Mills was yesterday reported to be dangerously ill.

Evesham Standard & West Midland Observer, 11th March 1955:
Pershore Officer’s Death in Air Crash
Inquest Adjourned
The Wilshire Coroner (Mr H. Dale) opened, and adjourned, an inquest at R.A.F. Station Boscombe Down, on Flt.-Lt. Edward Holmes Edmonds (32), of Fulbert -road, Pershore, and Flt. Lt. Frederick William Wilding Seaman (35), of officer married quarters, Ministry of Supply Section, Pershore, who died as the result of a flying accident at Boscombe Down on Wednesday last week.
Flt.-Lt. Holmes-Edmonds was the navigator and Flt.-Lt. Seaman the signaller in a crew of four of a Hastings aircraft which crashed on take-off at Boscombe Down.
Flt.-Lt. Holmes-Edmonds died on the way to Salisbury in an ambulance and Flt.-Lt. Seaman died on Thursday last week in hospital.
On the Wednesday the Hastings took off from Defford to do a sortie, landed at Boscombe Down for lunch, and was taking off for a second sortie when it crashed.
The other two members of the crew are reported to be off the danger list. They are Flt. Lt. A. J. Mills of Worcester, and the pilot, Flt.-Lt. K. J. Chase of Officers Married Quarters, Defford. Flt.-Lt. Mills has been detained in Salisbury Infirmary and Flt.-Lt. Chase in Odstock Hospital, Salisbury, and are reported to be now progressing favourably.
Flt.-Lt. Michael Watson, medical officer, said Flt.-Lt. Edmonds died from head injuries in the ambulance. No medical evidence was given about Flt.-Lt. Seaman. The Coroner adjourned the inquiry until Flt.-Lt. Chase could give evidence.
Flt.-Lt. Edmonds, married with two sons, was a Canadian, and had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941. He would have completed his eight years service with the R.A.F. a fortnight from the day he was killed and had planned to return to Canada with his family. Flt.Lt. Seaman was married with one son. He had joined the R.A.F. in 1940, and was a native of Scarborough, where the funeral took place on Wednesday.

ABBEY FUNERAL
Six officers carried the coffin at the funeral of Flt.Lt. Edmonds at Pershore Abbey on Monday, which was conducted by Squadron-Leader A. K. Sims, Chaplain of the R.A.F. Central Flying School, Little Rissington, Gloucester. A large contingent of military and civilian personnel from Defford Station attended the ceremony.
After the service the coffin was placed on a flower-bedecked lorry and taken to the cemetery, with a contingent of uniformed R.A.F. men and a party carrying their rifles in the reverse position marching in front. Following the mourners were Air Force and Naval officers and civilian employees from the station. Approaching the cemetery the military contingents broke into a slow march.
During the graveside service, and R.A.F. party “rested on its arms reversed,” afterwards firing a three volley salute and presenting arms during the sounding of the Last Post and Reveille. Then officers marched one by one to pay a last tribute, placing wreaths by the graveside and saluting.
The report continues with a list of family mourners and floral tributes.

Tewkesbury Register and Gazette, Saturday 2nd April 1955:
INQUEST ON PERSHORE R.A.F. OFFICERS
A Short Take-off
At a Salisbury inquest on Tuesday a verdict of “Death by misadventure” was returned on Flt.-Lt. Edward Holmes-Edmonds (32), of Fulbert -road, Pershore and Flt.-Lt. Frederick William Wilding Seaman (35), of Officers Married Quarters, Ministry of Supply Section, Pershore, both of R.A.F. Station, Defford. They were fatally injured when their Hastings plane crashed on take-off at Boscombe Down on March 2.
Flt.-Lt. Holmes-Edmonds was the navigator and Flt.-Lt. Seaman the signaller in a crew of four. The other two were injured.
The Coroner, Mr Harold Dale, said that neither the pilot, Flt.-Lt. K. J. Chase, nor the other member of the crew could remember anything of what happened, so it was no good calling them as witnesses.
Sgt.-Pilot Walter Wa**** said he saw the plane move slowly along the runway to take off and he was surprised to see it become rather quickly airborne and climbing very steeply.
At between 300 and 400 feet it stalled and crashed, exploded and caught fire. They got all the crew out, but two civilian scientists who were in the rear got out themselves.

The following details from ‘To Fly No More’ by Colin Cummings:
2nd March 1955, registration: WD484, aircraft: Hastings C2, take off from: RAF Boscombe Down
The aircraft became airborne rapidly from a three point attitude and climbed very steeply. At about 300 feet, the aircraft was in an almost vertical attitude, it then rolled starboard, the wings became nearly vertical and the nose dropped. The starboard wing struck the ground and the aircraft broke into two parts aft of the wing. The control locks were engaged and although the pilot was to blame for not checking full and free movement of the controls, the failure to embody a modification to prevent this happening was a contributing factor. Although the pilot and flight engineer survived, two other crewmen did not:

Flight Lieutenant Edward Holmes EDMONDS Navigator
Flight Lieutenant Fredrick William Willdig SEAMAN Signaller.

Edward Holmes Edmonds
Photograph courtesy & copyright of Clive Edmonds