I was 3yrs of age and in this fatal accident was my uncle Brian Davies and 19yrs of age. I would like to hear from anyone who had family on this plane

My late wife's brother was a passenger on this aircraft having played in the rugby match. I am trying to pinpoint the area of the crash site and would welcome information.

In reply to Mr John Searles request, regarding the crash site of the Vickers Valleta in aldbury in 1954. Last year,i was helping renovate a small cottage on the Ashridge estate Hertfordshire. after a few days on my own,up there in the mist of winter,heavy snow. A local man told me 16 young men had died, just beyond the cottages gate. At first i thought he was,trying to wind me up. But after going on the internet ,that evening i found a pathe news reel,about the crash, and there in the black and white film ,the cottage where i was working,and part of the aircraft lying where my car was parked. This led me to research the crash more,but not much exists about it. But i have spoke to many older locals ,who remember it. One guy ,remembers riding his bike ,to the crash and said how well the RAF ,cleaned the area.

ref:air crash Aldbury.crash location. go to Aldbury ,with the church behind you,and the shop to your right.look upthe hill ,this is toms hill,follow the road up around the bend to the right and then it bears left ,and then right,just as it bears right,there is a dirt road cut thru the trees,it is quite long,but you see a buliding at the end.this old copse lodge,if you watch the pathe news reel you will see it with the wreckage in front.the plane i was told came down where the power lines cut thru the trees. if you look up you can see some of the trees tops missing also the stumps of trees where it tore thru. in the hedge of the cottage there once was a small wooden cross in memory.also I heard the guy that survived came back to Aldbury to see the site an said that in was travelling in the toilet,and that this is what saved him?i was also told that the guys were from New Zealand again I dont know.one last thing if go out past the church towards Tring station, look back towards the hill above the village ,I might be wrong but you can see a big gap in the trees ,I would think this is where it went in.I do hope this is of help to John.

I have recently visited the site of where the RAF plane crashed at Toms Hill in Aldbury. My uncle was 19 and on this plane. you go through the village of Aldbury and up towards the mountain, you will have a sharp left bend and on your left you will see a narrow dirt lane follow this as far as you can and you will see in front of you the game keepers cottage. As you look at the cottage to your right follow the path about 200yds and you will see a tree which has fallen, turn left at this tree and walk in to the forest where you will come upon a large area of open space with trees that have fallen all around you. This is the spot where the plane crashed and whilst walking around this area you will see a divet of where the nose dived until recently there was embeded in the tree the actual wheel of the plane. When i was there in September 2011 i was told by the rangers that they are in the process of erecting a stone in memory of all on the plane. Also whilst there i was told that the opposite side where the RAF plane crashed in 1942 I believe he said a British bomber plane crashed. They are hoping to get a stone for them also. It was quite eerie whilst i sat on the tree trunk as a plane flew past. it was very peacful and i am so glad that i finally got to see this site. i took some snaps if anyone wishes to see them please get in touch with me and i shall share them gladly

hi carol, was it true all the men,were from new zealand. also,i was told,that the tree to the right of the cottage that has fallen,had part of the propeller shaft enbedded in it. i would love to see your photos if possible. regards shell.

hi shell rubin, the tree to the right of the cottage just came down by the force and the tre that had a wheel embedded in it is in the centre where the plkane finally stopped, this has been removed they say by someone recently . the crew on board were not new zealanders but british. the snaps that i took show nothing other than a plain spot of land where nothing has grown since the crash and the actual tree they hit there are no relics to see anywhere on the site regards carol

Hi to carol ann whitelock, I live at the bottom of the hill about 600 yards away from the apparent spot, I was told that the Valetta came down just on the sharp bend by the driveway to the lodge and hit the large broken tree in the deep pit within that bend, My son is hoping to do a presentation at school on this accident and we would both be so grateful if you could email your pics so I can get an exact location. I was told by locals that the B17 bomber that crashed previously had landed around where your description leads too, I'm so interested in finding this info out and it amazes me that as I live only 2 mins walk from the area, I still cannot get anything completely concrete on where exactly the 2 planes laid to rest, please help, I have some pics of the tree I was told it had hit which I can send you too, Stay safe, Paul..

Please contact the website to get in touch.

HI PAUL FOREMAN, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME I WOULD BE GLAD TO SEND YOU SNAPS OF WHAT I HAVE IM AWAY FROM 3/5 TO 17/5

Hi Carol Whitelock, I have added a page on this subject as my 22 year old brother Eric Casey was in this awful accident,it appears to have gone as a separate page if you would like to read it,as I have only ever seen the sad pictures taken at the time of the crash I would also love to see some more recent happier ones,Best regards, Judith

Hi Carol Whitelock, I have added a page on this subject as my 22 year old brother Eric Casey was in this awful accident,it appears to have gone as a separate page if you would like to read it,as I have only ever seen the sad pictures taken at the time of the crash I would also love to see some more recent happier ones,Best regards, Judith

Does anyone know which rugby team was on board? I have a feeling that they might have been Army Apprentices.

In 1954 I was a young police constable stationed at Tring. On that evening I was on cycle patrol in Station Road when the Tring (volunteer) Fire Engine stopped and told me they were attending an aircraft crash near Toms Hill, Aldbury, so I cycled to the scene. I frequently think of those who died, and have wondered about the lack of a memorial

In answer to some of the above questions; The Rugby team was from the RAF navigation school at Thorney Island, Portsmouth, Hants. They had played Halton RAF team in the second round of the RAF cup. I have a full list showing all the victims were from the UK, one survivor was P.O. Patrick D. Cliff. My brother Eric was killed in this tragic crash.

My dear brother was 22 years old and was one of the Officers killed in the 1954 Valetta plane crash at Tom's Hill, Aldbury, I have his RAF Flying Log book, the last entry states; 6/1/54 17.15, Valetta 'F'.Pilot F/S Marshall, Bovingdon (Crash after take-off) My brother was A.P.O. Eric Casey and he was stationed at, No.2 Air Navigation School, Thorney Island. He had flown to Bovingdon as a member of the RAF Thorney Island Rugby team that had played against RAF Halton earlier that day, in his letter to me a few days earlier he says 'I hear from the chaps who played last year that they are quite a tough bunch so we should have a very good game', I do hope he did! I was fourteen and a half years old at the time and can vividly remember the arrival of the telegram early the next morning informing my parent that their only son was dead. Eric was born and lived in Swinton, Manchester, until he joined the RAF, I don't recall where the other casualties came from but obviously they were not all from New Zealand, the only survivor was a young man named Patrick Cliff. Eric is buried alongside several of the others killed that day in the RAF cemetery at Halton.