Flight of Spitfire R6717 Ivor Arber crashed on 1940-08-02
On 2nd August 1940 Arber crashed at Inkhorn, Aberdeenshire in Spitfire R6717. He had become lost in bad visibility. He does not appear in 603's records after this so it may be speculated that he was injured and spent some time recuperating.
Update by Paul Bradford: The pilot was Ivor Arber, he crash landed at Inkhorn in thick fog and was seriously injured. In the latter days of the war he was awarded the AFC for ferrying damaged aircraft. He lost his life in 1952 whilst motorcycle racing in the Isle of Man.
This is the page dedicated to Ivor Arber from the Memorial Book. (TT & MGP Memorial). Observers around the TT course on the morning of Tuesday 2nd September 1952 reported fine weather, dry roads and clear visibility. Excellent news for the 115 competitors gathered at the Grandstand in Douglas waiting to take advantage of a practice session for the Manx Grand Prix. Amongst them was Ivor Arber, riding a 500cc Norton machine bearing the race number 4 and entered for the Senior race to be held the following week. The racing season had started well for him as he had won the Senior Race at the North West 200 in Ireland but then in July he sustained serious injuries while racing at Skerries and had only been passed fit to race again in August.
Not long after the session commenced, Ivor Arber set off along Glencrutchery Road towards Bray Hill on his opening lap of the morning. Francis Beart, a motorcycle development engineer, owned the Norton he was riding and he had instructed him to take it slowly to Ballacraine and to check the “revs” at Sulby and again on the mountain mile. He safely made his way round the course and completed the lap in a time of approximately 28 minutes. On pulling into the pit area he reported that the machine was going well then went out again to commence his second circuit. At about 7.15am he was seen travelling at racing speed on the approach to Hillberry Corner but then, as he was negotiating the sweeping right hand bend, he appeared to glance towards the grandstand on the left. His machine then drifted on the exit of the bend and ran up the grass bank on the left for about four yards before dropping into a shallow roadside gutter. Arber had lost his grip of the handlebars and was leaning backwards on the machine as it travelled along the gutter for about twelve yards before swerving back across the road and colliding heavily with the stone wall at the entrance to Glen Dhoo Farm. The unfortunate rider was thrown from the machine and came to rest in the roadway. A doctor on duty at Hillberry was with him very quickly and gave stimulants in an effort to revive him but within minutes of the accident he had succumbed to his injuries.
Former TT rider and 350cc World Champion, Bob Foster, witnessed the incident. He stated that Ivor Arber approached the corner on the correct line and was still on the correct line when in the corner but it appeared as if he was not concentrating sufficiently to complete the turn at the speed he was travelling at.
Ivor Arber, a single man, was 35 years of age. (Born 18th February 1917 in Kettering) He was a works manager and engineer by occupation and a resident of Kettering, Northants. During the war he had seen active service as a spitfire pilot with 603 Squadron during the early days of the Battle of Britain. During the first two weeks of July 1940 he was involved in downing a Ju88 off the east coast of Scotland and a He111 over Aberdeen. On 2nd August 1940, in bad visibility, he crashed his Spitfire R6717 at Inkhorn, Aberdeenshire and sustained serious injuries. Later in the war he became a Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve employed in No. 41 Group and was qualified to fly all types of land based aircraft. During March 1944 he undertook the dangerous task of ferrying damaged aircraft to places where repairs could be undertaken and as a result very considerable savings were made both in time and skilled man-hours. He was awarded the Air Force Cross, the Royal Air Force’s highest decoration for non-combat services. He was a comparatively new recruit to motorcycle racing but was obviously a talented rider. On the Isle of Man in 1951, riding a Norton, he had won the Senior Clubman's TT with a race average speed of 79.70 mph.
His funeral service was held at All Saints Church, Douglas during the afternoon on Friday 5th September, with the chief mourners being his father and brother together with Francis Beart. Interment followed at Douglas Borough Cemetery where the rider had expressed a wish to be buried should anything happen to him while racing on the Island.
Update from http://www.bbm.org.uk:
Ivor Kenneth Arber joined the RAFVR as an Airman u/t Pilot in December 1938 and was called up on 1st September 1939. He did his advanced flying training at 8 FTS Montrose and completed the course in May 1940. He probably joined 603 Squadron at Dyce in the latter half of June.
On 3rd July Arber shared in the destruction of a Ju88 off the east coast of Scotland and on the 12th he shared a He111 with P/O Gilroy and Sgt. Caister in an engagement over Aberdeen. The enemy aircraft, from 9/KG26, crashed and burned out killing the crew of four.
On 2nd August 1940 Arber crashed at Inkhorn, Aberdeenshire in Spitfire R6717. He had become lost in bad visibility. He does not appear in 603's records after this so it may be speculated that he was injured and spent some time recuperating.
His subsequent service is currently undocumented until he was commissioned in August 1943. Arber was awarded the AFC (gazetted 1st January 1945), the citation read:
This officer has been employed in No. 41 Group since September 1940, during that time he has qualified to fly all types of land based aircraft and is qualified to Flight Test a considerable number. Flying Officer Arber never hesitates to accept hard work, particularly where there is a fair share of risk. During March 1944, he undertook the rather dangerous task of ferrying non-effective aircraft for breakdown and, in consequence, a very considerable economy in skilled man hours was effected. This officer gives of his best and has thereby made a definite contribution to the successful Flight Testing record of his group.
He left the RAF after the war and was commissioned in the RAFVR in October 1947.
Arber was a keen motorcyclist and in 1951 won the Senior Clubmans race held as part of the TT event on the Isle of Man.
On 2nd September 1952 he was making a practice run for the Manx Grand Prix when he lost control of his 500cc Norton and crashed at Hillberry Corner. Arber was killed and is buried in Douglas Borough Cemetery, Isle of Man.
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