RUSSELL TODD & MR MARK TODD (grave 62)

Of all the burials at Scampton, these two proved to be among the most difficult to research. The grave is not only unique in that it is a father and son who died on the same day, but also because it is the only RAF grave for a civilian in the churchyard.

Flight Lieutenant Todd was serving with 617 Squadron in the General Duties Branch and lived, together with his family, in Vulcan Close at RAF Scampton, which by coincidence is where a large part of this book was researched and written, as Gary Mennell lived for a period in the same street of RAF married quarters.

It was late on a Monday afternoon when Russell Todd (44) and his eighteen year old son Mark died in a car accident on the crossroads of the Welton to Spridlington Road and the Hackthorn to Cold Hanworth Road.

Although there were no witnesses to the crash, it would appear that Russell pulled out of a minor road into the path of a Land Rover being driven by 74 year-old Harold Fox. Mr Fox was a well known local businessman and although he survived the initial crash, he died of his injuries three days later.

Investigation of the crash site showed that recent road resurfacing had obliterated the give-way markings at the junction and overgrown hedges made visibility of the main road very difficult. At the inquest, verdicts of death by misadventure were recorded on the two drivers and a verdict of accidental death was recorded on Mark Todd.

Russell’s son adds more detail:

My dad was Flt Lt Russell Norman Todd, he joined the RAF as an apprentice in ground communication and Radar when he was 16 years old in 1951. He worked on radars and communications in the early days and I know he was posted to many places; South Cerney, Kinloss, St Mawgan, Topcliffe, Lossiemouth, Singapore, Ballykelly, Kormaksar (Aden in Yemen), Luqa (Malta), Finningly and lastly RAF Scampton.

In 1953 he went to Singapore with his new wife, my mother Mary, and enjoyed his first married posting and the subsequent arrival of his first son Paul in 1957. They left Singapore in 1959 and dad was posted to RAF Norton in Sheffield and in 1960 his second son Mark was born. In 1961 he was accepted as an Air Electronics Officer Cadet and graduated in 1962, initially as a Pilot Officer and then receiving promotions through Flying Officer in 1964 to Flt Lt in 1968. In 1962 he gained his commission and trained as an Air Electronics Officer (AEO) working on Shackleton Maritime reconnaissance taking us to Ballykelly, Northern Ireland in 1963, Aden in 1966 and 4 glorious years in Malta up to 1972 before training at Topcliffe and becoming an AE instructor at Finningley from 1973 to 1975 and then transferred to Specialist Aircrew when he served with 617 squadron on Vulcans from 1976 until his death in 1979. Whilst on 617 sqn he was part of the winning crew in the international Giant Voice navigation and bombing competition on two occasions both times set in the US. Dad’s passion was fly fishing, tying his own flies, and that is where he and Mark were heading when their car was involved in the fatal collision.

Mark Todd is the only civilian in a Commonwealth War grave because of 2 reasons; he died in the same road traffic accident as his dad Russell and he was due to attend aircrew selection at RAF Cranwell just weeks after his death. Mark was a talented artist and an excellent football player.