Hurricane near Great Sled Dale, Keld.

During the morning of the 12th of June 1942 this aircraft was being flown by an ATA pilot from Henlow to Silloth. Bad weather was flown into as the aircraft reached the Swaledale area of the Yorkshire Dales. It seems probable that the pilot became lost and then descended through cloud whilst flying up the main valley of Swaledale. When he reached the head of the valley it splits into three smaller dales. Had he selected the middle one he would have probably avoided a crash; this would have seen him fly out and over Kirby Stephen. He selected the left dale, Great Sled Dale, nearing the head of this smaller valley he flew into the ground killing him instantly around 13.00hrs.

Pilot - 1st Officer Alexander R Leslie-Melville ATA. Aged ? Of ? Buried Maidenhead Cemetery.

Flight Cadet Alexander Leslie-Melville had passed through the RAF College at Cranwell and was granted a permenant commission as a P/O on 16th December 1925. He was promoted to F/O on 16th June 1927. On 19th December 1928 he was posted to the "RAF Training base at "Leuchars". He was still in the RAF in late 1929 but on 31st January 1931 he was placed in the retired list on account of ill health.
I have yet to locate the crash site. A number of peices of the aircraft are known to exist at the crash site.