Bomber Command Memorial Register

Near Sheldon village Wellington Memorial

Near Sheldon village, Peak District (Derbyshire / South Pennines)

Complete Record
Approximate location?

Help us verify this location. This memorial's position is not yet precisely confirmed. If you have local knowledge, photographs, or documentary evidence of the exact site, we'd love to hear from you.

Photographs

5af6a04593912 DSC00361 547x410
5af6a04593912 DSC00361 547x410, Credit: Mike Coyle / War Memorials Online

Location

Near Sheldon village, Peak District (Derbyshire / South Pennines), Peak District (Derbyshire / South Pennines)

what3words: ///smarting.connects.dices

Narrative

This was no ordinary training accident. Wellington Mk.VI W5795 was a specialised high-altitude variant with a pressurised cabin, being tested from the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. The crew was flying at 35,000 feet — an extraordinary altitude for a Wellington — testing whether it was possible to fly above the ceiling of German fighters. During the flight, a propeller sheared off and tore through the pressurised cabin, causing catastrophic decompression and structural failure. The aircraft crashed into farmland in Stanley parish near Ilkeston. All five aboard were killed, including civilian test observer Clifford Abbott, aged 23. The presence of a DFM holder (Flight Sergeant Arthur Smith) and a Squadron Leader among the dead speaks to the calibre of men involved in this classified test programme. The Wellington VI was one of the rarest marks produced, with only around 64 built, designed specifically for high-altitude operations.

Aircraft & Operation Details

Aircraft Type
Wellington
Serial Number
W5795
Squadron
Bomber Command (test flight)
Date of Loss
1942-07-12
Operation Type
Training
Cause of Loss
Propeller sheared off at 35,000ft, tore through pressurised cabin

Crew (5 members)

RankNameRoleAgeNationalityFateBurial / Status
S/LdrCyril L.F. Colmore
37651 RAF
Pilot29BritishKilled
—CWGC
P/OKenneth Radford
123492 RAFVR
Pilot27BritishKilled
—CWGC
Fl/SgtRonald P. Gillott
650284 RAF
Crew22BritishKilled
—CWGC
Fl/SgtArthur J. Smith DFM
755349 RAF
Crew23BritishKilled
DFM
—CWGC
MrClifford V. Abbott
— (civilian)
Civilian Test Observer23BritishKilled
—

About the Crew

S/Ldr Cyril L.F. Colmore(age 29)Pilot

Squadron Leader and pilot, aged 29. Led the classified high-altitude pressurisation test programme from A&AEE Boscombe Down.

P/O Kenneth Radford(age 27)Pilot

Pilot Officer serving with the RAFVR as second pilot, aged 27.

Fl/Sgt Ronald P. Gillott(age 22)Crew

Flight Sergeant serving with the RAF, aged 22.

Fl/Sgt Arthur J. Smith DFM(age 23)CrewDFM

Flight Sergeant serving with the RAF, aged 23. Holder of the Distinguished Flying Medal, indicating exceptional operational service before his posting to the test programme.

Mr Clifford V. Abbott(age 23)Civilian Test Observer

Civilian test observer aged 23, attached to the experimental programme at Boscombe Down. One of the rare civilian casualties among these memorial records.

Memorial Details

Type
Village memorial (Lancaster Bomber flypast conducted at 80th anniversary 2022)
Dedication Date
Modern

Memorial Care

parish council
Organisation
Sheldon Parish Meeting

Village memorial; Lancaster Bomber flypast conducted at 80th anniversary 2022.

Local Contacts

These local organisations are connected to this memorial and may be able to help with information or visits.

Bakewell & District Royal British Legionbritish legion

Local remembrance and memorial support

Sheldon Parish Meetingparish council

Local authority responsible for memorial upkeep

Further Reading

War Memorials OnlineRetrieved 2026-03-23

WMO entry for the crew of Wellington Mk VI W5795 memorial in St Andrew's Churchyard, Stanley. Documents the polished grey granite tablet and the RAF badge design.

WMO memorial reference 70206Memorial in St Andrew's Churchyard, Stanley

War Memorials TrustRetrieved 2026-03-23

War Memorials Trust grant record showing their financial contribution towards the Stanley Wellington Bomber W5795 memorial, unveiled 11 July 2004.

War Memorials Trust grant contributed to costsUnveiled 11 July 2004

Midlands Air Crash ResearchRetrieved 2026-03-23

MACR technical account of the Wellington W5795 crash. The aircraft was an experimental high-altitude variant with pressurised cabin being tested from A&AEE Boscombe Down. At 32,500 feet a propeller blade section sheared off, penetrating the cabin and causing decompression. Debris fell between Dale Abbey and Ockbrook.

Cruising altitude was 32,500 ft at time of failureWreckage spread between Dale Abbey and OckbrookA&AEE Boscombe Down test programmeOnly approximately 64 Wellington Mk VI built

Aviation Safety NetworkRetrieved 2026-03-23

Aviation Safety Network accident record for Wellington Mk IV W5795 on 12 July 1942, confirming the loss during a pressurisation test flight from Boscombe Down.

ASN wikibase reference 167908Classified as Mk IV in some records

Sources

  • Derbyshire Times; rolandmillward.com(website)

Credits & Acknowledgements

Record compiled by
Keith Binley
Heritage sources
War Memorials Online (retrieved 2026-03-23)
War Memorials Trust (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Midlands Air Crash Research (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Aviation Safety Network (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Last updated 2026-03-23

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Sheffield "Mi Amigo" Memorial
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