On the 11th Nov 1943 an air collision occurred which resulted in the loss of eight lives at RAF Cranfield in Bedfordshire.

A 51 Operational Training Unit (OTU) Bristol Beaufighter Mk1f, Serial Number R2252 was returning to its home base at RAF Cranfield from RAF Twinwood Farm, only a few minutes flying time from Cranfield. Onboard the Beaufighter were the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Michael William Kinmonth RAFVR, Flight Sergeant (Pilot) Lionel Maxwell Amesbury, RAF and Corporal Jose Cecilia Kathleen Hayes, WAAF. Both Lionel and Jose were passengers on this twin engined fighter, usually crewed operationally by two; a pilot and a navigator/radar operator.

Returning to RAF Cranfield from Hucknall was a De Havilland Dominie Serial Number X7368. This Biplane in civilian service was called a De Havilland Dragon Rapide but this machine was in RAF Service with 51 OTU and hence bore the name, Dominie. On board was the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Archibald Menzies Fitzrandolph RAFVR and four passengers, Flight Lieutenant Ian Harper Courtney RAFVR, Sergeant Eric Povey RAFVR, 2nd Lieutenant M Schenker US Army and 2nd Lieutenant J K Peters US Army.

The aircraft collided on approach to the airfield at around 100ft, coming down just outside the perimeter of the airfield.

Buried in Cambridge City Cemetery are:

Flight Lieutenant Kinmonth DFC, aged 21 and Son of William and Ivy Austen Kinmonth, of Mount Meirian, Co. Dublin, Irish Republic.

Corporal Jose Cecilia Kathleen Hayes, aged 22 and Daughter of Maj. Philip V. Hayes, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.) and Gladys F. Hayes, of Paddington, London.

Flight Lieutenant Archibald Menzies Fitzrandolph, aged 47 and Son of Allan Humbert Fitzrandolph and Anne Hatheway Fitzrandolph; husband of Mavis Doriel Fitzrandolph, of Slinfold, Sussex. M.A. (Oxon.).

Flight Lieutenant Ian Harper Courtney, aged 32 and Son of Fred Courtney and Wilhelmina (Minnie) Courtney, Husband of Elsie May Courtney from Harrow, Middlesex.