Hurricane near Welburn Hall, Kirkbymoorside.
Details of this flight are vague at present but what is known that at 20.00 hrs on the 20th of July 1940
the pilot of this aircraft was on a flight when the engine cut out due to the pilot's misunderstanding of the petrol system
and a landing was made but the aircraft collided with obstruction
cables (wire hauser) placed across Major Shaw's private airstrip near Kirkbymoorside, at Welburn. The aircraft was not seriously damaged
and the pilot survived. Repair on site was considered but the
airstrip was too short to make a take off possible so the aircraft was dismantled and removed by road and later rebuilt.
The aircraft was built to contract 96237/38 by Gloster Aircraft Ltd at Hucclecote and delivered to the RAF in February 190
and after acceptance was flown to 607 Sqdn at Vitry-en-Artois, France in March 1940. It moved with the unit to Abbeville on 12th
April 1940, and returned to Vitry-en-Artois on 26th April 1940. It then moved to Norrent Fontes on 19th May 1940
(this aircraft was a real veteran of the Battle of France). 607 Sqdn were transferred to Croydon on 22nd May 1940 but without any aircraft.
Hurricane P3154 made its way back to the UK and after servicing was issued to 249 Sqdn at Leconfield in June 1940.
The unit transferred to Church Fenton on 8th July 1940. It suffered Cat R/FA damage in the incicent at Kirkbymoorside, detailed above.
After repair the aircraft was issued to 56 Sqdn at Boscombe Down in September 1940.
The aircraft was to be written off later the same year whilst taking part in the Battle of Britain. Sgt D.H.Nicholls of 56 Squadron
was injured in combat over Yeovil at 16:00hrs on the 7th of October 1940. The aircraft crashed at Alton Pancras, Somerset.
Initially the damage was declared as Cat R but after assessment was Re-Cat W and struck off charge.
Pilot - P/O John R C Young RAF - ok.
P/O John R C Young RAF. P/O Young began his flying career as Probabationary APO on 9 Aug 1937, he was made a
Prob P/O on 31st May 1938,
P/O on 21st June 1938. He moved to 41 Sqdn in August 1939 and served with 249 Sqdn during the Battle of Britain
(the squadron he was with at the time of his mishap at Welburn) He was awarded an AFC at some point and was MiD on the 1st of Jan 1943.
He was made a Sqdn Ldr (WS) on 15th Oct 1944. He relinquished his Comission when he retired on 18th March 1953.
I have yet to locate the crash site, although it is thought that it happened on the civilian airstrip that
now forms Slingsby's airfield. A photograph of the aircraft on the back of a lorry appears in Brian Rapiers "White Rose Base" book.