Aircraft accidents on the North Yorkshire Moors.

Blenheim L8729 at Coniser Howl, Bilsdale, North Yorkshire Moors.

On the night of 18th July 1941 the pilot of this Blenheim was flying solo and undertaking a searchlight homing exercise when he was unwittingly vectored over the North Yorkshire Moors and Cleveland Hills. The aircraft circled for a while searching for the beams (which did not exist) before striking high ground south of Basin Howe at 04.35hrs. The pilot was sadly killed. This aircraft crashed only five minutes after Blenheim L1449 struck the moor near the waterfall further up the valley with both pilots undertaking the same exercise. The wreckage of L8729 was later taken off the moor and down into Bilsdale past the Sun Inn. An entry in 54 OTU's ORB simply states "P/O McMurtie killed in Blenheim L8729. Crashed close to Blenheim L1449."

Blenheim L8729 was built to contract 551920/37 by Rootes Securities Ltd at Speke and was awaiting collection in August 1939, it was then delivered to 64 Squadron who were based at Church Fenton later in the month. 64 Squadron converted to Spitfire MkIa's in April 1940 and on 18th April 1940 they were detached to Catterick airfield and took L8729 with them for transfer to 219 Squadron who were in residence at Catterick by that date. Following a minor accident at Catterick in May 1940, Cat.R/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was repaired on site by a team from The Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd., whose job it was to repair Blenheims at their operating stations. No date is known for the completion of these repairs but the aircraft was returned to 219 Squadron when this was done. 219 Squadron moved to Redhill on 12th October 1940 and 600 Squadron moved in to Catterick from Redhill on the same day and L8729 was taken on charge by them. 600 Squadron themselves ceased operating Blenheims in February 1941 and this aircraft was transferred to 54 OTU at Church Fenton. It was destroyed in the crash detailed above, with Cat.W/FA damage recorded.

Pilot - P/O Alexander D McMurtrie RNZAF (402908), aged 21, of Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. Buried Kirkby Wharfe Cemetery, North Yorkshire.

P/O McMurtrie and his gravestone at Kirkby Wharfe. He had a total 174 hours flying, 97 of which were flying solo.

I visited the area of this crash many times before I actually located it. In August 2003 John Skinn and myself found the site. Not much remains today although a number of .303 rounds lay in the remains, these have dates on them from between 1936 and 1940, all appeared to be hollow tipped. Alot of glass is at the site. A fire must have destroyed the aircraft after the crash, the small scar on the moor has alot of melted alloy in it.

A small memorial constructed at the site in 2004.

Some of the smaller items found at the site.

My thanks go to Mr William Ainsley of the Sun Inn for some of the information on this page and for giving me precise directions to locate the site. Thanks also to my father for lining up a meeting with him.

The Yorkshire Air Museum list the pilot of L8729 and killed on the North Yorkshire Moors on this night as being Sgt Cyril Neighbour RNZAF, this however is not the case and is an error. Sgt Neighbour was killed flying K7090 on the same night but just off the airfield near Church Fenton. I have attempted to point this out to the gentleman who published the crash list there but no change in the public records has been made.