The Lysander flew into high ground thought to be near East Barnby, north of Whitby, on the 16th of July 1940 in bad
visibility
whilst on reconnaisance patrol along the East coast. The crew were ordered to return to base if the weather turned in and
if the pilot had to fly below 1000ft. It was thought that the pilot was trying to make a landing in bad weather and had
broke cloud thinking he was actually over the sea and not over land. The aircraft crashed at 650 ft ASL, it was
totally wrecked and both airmen on board were killed. There was no fire.
The aircraft was built to contract 611814/37 by Westland at Yeovil and delivered to MU in July 1939 and after acceptance it was
issued to 4 Sqdn at Linton on Ouse. It was written off with Cat W/FA damage on the above incident on 16th July 1940.
Pilot - F/O John Kershaw RAF, aged 22, of Macclesfield, Cheshire. Cremated Manchester. He gained a B.A. at Oxford University. His father Harold Stanley Kershaw was a CBE holder.
Air Gunner - Sgt James H (Jack) Fletcher RAFVR, aged 20, of Rotherham, Yorkshire. Buried Moorgate Cemetery, Rotherham (Sec N, 1st New, Grave 23).
Jack Fletcher's grave in Rotherham Cemetery, in need of some care and attention. He is buried a family plot.
I searched the area of a grid ref I have for the crash in September 2003, the area was this field. I didn't venture
into the newly planted crops but the hedge rows and field edge did not yield any small wreckage. Barnby Howe is in the
background of the photograph, a radar base base sited near here in the War.
