In the summer of 1944, Wren Kathleen Oates was stationed on the Isle of Man, writing dozens of letters home about life and operations at Ronaldsway. Eighty years later, her daughter, Christine Smith, explores these letters in a series of columns based on Kathleen’s wartime experiences...

Although King George and Queen Elizabeth visited the Isle of Man just over 80 years ago, unfortunately, Kathleen’s letters do not recount anecdotes from the Royal visit to the Isle of Man because soon after, she went home on VE Day leave to Leicester and doubtless updated her family in person.

The visit was clearly a short one as a letter was sent to her family with a July 14 postmark. In it she mentioned a tragic incident which took place on Thursday, July 12.

‘We had an accident here yesterday afternoon – one of the kites made a short landing. I don’t know the reason why yet. Some say his engine failed – anyway, he touched the main road first before going on to the airfield and unfortunately killed a youth who was walking along the pavement. Tragic, isn’t it? - And I expect it would upset the pilot. He isn’t flying today anyway.’ Her matter-of-fact delivery reflected the fact that this was not the first tragedy she had written about at Ronaldsway.

Newspaper reports provided more details. David Kelly, age 16, the only child of Acting Police Sergeant and Mrs Kelly of Castletown, was the victim. His parents had been spending the day in Douglas, and were driven home to Castletown after the dreadful news had been broken to them by the Douglas police.

David’s funeral was at Borough Cemetery. Among over fifty floral tributes, several came from personnel of HMS Urley (the Fleet Air Arm’s official name for Ronaldsway) – thus, the Captain and Officers, the Royal Marine police, the air crew of 747 Squadron and the Ship’s Company.

An inquest was held later that month, at courthouse Castletown, and more details emerged. David was an apprentice in the surveyors office of the Admiralty Civil Engineer. He was heading home after work finished at 5pm when the low flying plane hit him, after colliding with the hedge of the main Castletown to Ballasalla Road. It crossed the road and went through the other hedge before coming to a stop, after which the three members of the crew were able to escape the plane. A doctor attached to Ronaldsway, attended the site of the crash and said that he thought death would have been instantaneous.

The runway which the plane had been directed to use was the only one which began near the main road. The Navy had recognised a potential danger and had asked for permission to erect traffic lights on the road, so that it would be closed when these were on - but that had been refused. It was possible that the plane had been flying low because of mist, or it might have dropped suddenly owing to a semi stall or down current.

On July 31, it was reported that the verdict of the Coroner was death by misadventure.