Hawker Audax at High Yedmandale Farm, West Ayton.

On the17th of May 1938 this pilot was undertaking a cross country training flight at night when he became lost. The Audax crashed at around 00.30hrs after the pilot had parachuted from the plane. The aircraft crashed onto High Yedmandale Farmhouse badly damaging the house, the occupants of the house had a lucky escape, Mr Albert Stonehouse, his wife, son and two daughters, all survived. The aircraft was heard circling the area at around 23.45 hrs by the occupants. Mr Stonehouse was awoken by the noise of the crash, he went out of his bedroom, which was undamaged, and found the aircrafts axle on his landing, the wheels where on the staircase. The pilot landed about a mile and a half from the crash, he was rushed back to the site in a motor car but was previously unaware where the aircraft had come down.

The aicraft was built to contract 389427/35 by A.V. Roe Ltd at Chadderton and delivered directly to 7 FTS on 19th February 1936. It was transferred to RAFC Cranwell on 17th September 1936. It sustained Cat W/FA damage in the above incident and the wreckage was taken to RAF Driffield for assessment where it was struck off charge on 2nd August 1938. It had a total flying time of 399.55 hours.

Pilot - Flt Cadet Micheal Savage RAF, of Mayfield, Sussex. He had a total of 175 hours flying at the time of the crash, 55 of these being on the Audax.

The pilot was educated at King's School, Canterbury, he also passed out of Cranwell as a King's Cadet in 1936. As would be expected, Micheal Savage served in the Second World War in the RAF. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre avec Palme during this time. His life was sadly cut short less than two months before the end of hostilities. He reached the rank of Sqdn Ldr but was killed on the 19th of March 1945, whilst serving with 175 Sqdn, possibly flying a Typhoon and is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery. He was still only 26 years old.