A recent email was sent in by J Priest:

Dear Sir

I see from your website that you are interested in hearing of any history connected to the former RAF Warmwell.

My uncle, Kenneth John Cyster, lost his life there on 22 April 1940.

He was in the RAF Volunteer Reserve, and had been stationed at no.10 Bombing and Gunnery School, RAF Warmwell, having completed training at Downing College Cambridge, and Hamble in Hampshire.

On the morning of 22 April he was an observer in an Overstrand biplane bomber, K8173, which had been sent on bombing practice over the Chesil Bank ranges. Then in the words of the official accident report (from the RAF Museum, Hendon who have also confirmed that my uncle was stationed there at the time)

“Aircraft observed in steep turn, flames from port engine, broke up in a vertical dive into sea, cause unknown.”

What made this particularly tragic for the family was that Kenneth had been married only two days earlier having been granted a 48 hour leave for the event. His wife was staying at a nearby hotel when the news was brought to her by the best man, who witnessed the accident.

I hope this is of some interest for your archives.

Kind Regards

Judy Priest