Richard Adcock "First Casualty"

Richard Watkin ADCOCK

Sergeant Royal Air Force

Service Number 740074

Died 6 November 1939, age 27 years

Buried at St Andrews Church, Totteridge,  New Churchyard Sec. 3

His name appears on Barnet Scouts' memorial records, where he was a member of the 186th North London Scout Group (later 2nd Friern Barnet Scout Group)

Richard was the son of Ernest William and Ruth Margaret Adcock, of 4 Greenway, Totteridge.

Richard Watkin Adcock was a 27-year-old Sergeant Pilot who became one of the earliest British casualties of World War II, dying in a training accident just two months after the war was declared. His story represents the sacrifice of many young servicemen whose lives were lost not in combat but in the hazardous process of military training during wartime.

By 1939, Richard had joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) and was serving as a Sergeant Pilot with the. The RAFVR had been formed in 1936 as a supplement to the Royal Air Force, allowing civilians to receive part-time training before potentially transitioning to full-time service. When war was declared in September 1939, many RAFVR members, including Richard, were called to active duty.

On Monday, November 6, 1939, Sergeant Adcock was engaged in a night flying exercise at No.2 Service Flying School, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. He was flying as a student with his instructor, Pilot Officer Robert Davidson, in an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford Mk I (registration L4547).

The Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft widely used as an advanced trainer for bomber and multi-engine pilots during World War II. That evening, their training flight began in relatively straightforward conditions with scattered clouds.

After taking off from RAF Brize Norton, the aircraft climbed normally to approximately 400 feet, which began a gentle right-hand turn. What happened next would prove fatal- the aircraft suddenly lost height and disappeared from view. Shortly afterwards, a heavy rain shower passed over the airfield. The Oxford crashed at a flat angle near Black Bourton, south of the airbase, killing both men instantly.

A court of inquiry was established to investigate the accident. It concluded that the crash was likely caused by the aircraft encountering a heavy rain shower at a low altitude (about 400 feet), with P/O Davidson failing to rely on his instruments to maintain height and direction in sudden poor visibility.

Richard holds the sombre distinction of being recorded as the first casualty from Barnet in World War II. His name appears on Barnet Scouts' memorial records, recognising his connection to the 186th North London Scout Group and ensuring his sacrifice is remembered within the Scouting community.  Sergeant Richard Watkin Adcock's life was cut short at just 27 years of age, making him one of the early casualties of Britain's war effort. His journey from Scout to RAF Volunteer Reserve Sergeant reflects the path of many young men of his generation, who brought the values of service and duty from civilian organisations into military life.

Sources:

National Archives AIR 81/1632. This record was "closed" for 82 years and was only made public on 01/01/2022.

Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives