On the 23rd of October 1940 the pilot of this aircraft took off from Catterick to undertake a local flying exercise and being vectored by RAF Dishforth Control. The pilot was inexperienced on flying on instruments and when the weather made a turn for the worse he lost control whilst flying on his instruments. The aircraft struck the ground near Kirby Malzeard in a near vertical dive and broke up sadly killing the pilot instantly at 11.15hrs.

Pilot - P/O Peter R S Hurst RAF (41421), aged 20, of Hannington, Hampshire. Buried Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire.

The pilots gravestone. At the time of his death he had a total of 291 hours flying, but with only 45 on the Blenheim type. He gained his wings in May 1939 and had trained at 9 FTS. He was made an A P/O on 14th December 1938 and a P/O on 3rd September 1939. He joined 600 Sqdn at Redhill in September 1940 and technically was a Battle of Britain pilot although it is not thought he had any "kills" to his name.

Two photographs showing the area of the crash. The top one appeared in Brian Rapiers "White Rose Base" book, the lower photograph is taken of exactly the same area some 65 years after the crash by Mr Andrew Hunter.

In June 2008 I was invited to the site by follow researchers Albert Pritchard, Ken Reast and Dick Barton who had been given permission to visit the site by the land owner Mr M. Robinson. We located the site finding a handful of peices in the area of the crash but enough to say this was the exact area of the crash. Of those parts a makers plate was discovered and was identified as part of the hydrolic system.

The plate mentioned previously.

A brass part with a part number, the "FB" part relating to Blenheims.