Spitfire P8044 that would crash in Bransdale was named "Canadian First Division" and carried the name when it served with 41 Squadron (photograph via Mr Jim Rutland).
During the afternoon of Tuesday, 28th October 1941 the pilot of this 145 Squadron aircraft took off from Catterick airfield to undertake a convoy patrol. The 145 Squadron record book lists all the operational flights on this date but appears to muddle up the order when the flights took place with the list not being in take-off time order. My best guess is that this aircraft took off at 15.30hrs with two other Spitfires piloted by P/O Sabourin and P/O Malins. There were other later take off times for convoy patrols with other pilots but their flights were much shorter in time. These convoy patrol was undertaken off the Yorkshire Coast in an area of the North Sea. I have not found any direct evidence for it yet from written documents but the weather must have become poor. This convoy patrol and also two other ones that were just underway were called off shortly after 16.35hrs when the last aircraft in a later patrol took off. Just before 17.00hrs the pilot of Spitfire P8044 was flying in formation with at least one other Spitfire and they were crossing the North Yorkshire Moors flying back west towards Catterick. The Moors were covered in cloud at the time and in climbing through the cloud it became turbulent. The pilot of this aircraft lost sight of the lead aircraft and it was thought that he then lost control in the period between transferring between visual flying to flying on instruments. The aircraft dived into the ground at 17.00hrs and was destroyed, it had crashed into a field near Bransdale Mill killing the pilot instantly. All other 145 Squadron Spitfires in the air and undertaking convoy patrols landed at Catterick just after 17.05hrs.
After speaking to two former Bransdale residents in 2003 it became clear that they both recalled this incident. Mr Ken Luck told me that he remembered the aircraft crashed near "the mill", it was on a foggy day, in a field between Colt House and the river and somewhere near a small footbridge. It was a very foggy day but an aircraft was heard for a time (possibly circling) before a loud bang was heard as it struck the ground. A farmer, Mr Strickland Teasdale, from nearby Colt House tried to get the pilot out of the burning aircraft but was beaten back by the flames. Soldiers who were camped at Bransdale Lodge were soon on the scene to guard the wreck but nothing could be done for the pilot. (The now late Helmsley resident) Mrs F.Leng also had similar memories recounted to her by her late husband of a crash in the same locality. From information given in the accidents records the pilot had been killed in the crash and any rescue attempt would have been futile.
Spitfire P8044 was built to contract B981687/39/CB/23(C) by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to the RAF in January 1941. It was delivered to 45 MU at Kinloss on 23rd February 1941 and then taken on charge by 41 Squadron on 7th April 1941 and based at Catterick. 41 Squadron moved to Merston on 28th July 1941 leaving behind most of their Spitfires and 145 Squadron moved into Catterick from Merston taking the ex-41 Squadron Spitfire's on charge the same day. As a result of the crash in Bransdale on 28th October 1941 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 30th October 1941 when the paperwork caught up. The aircraft is listed as having flown a total flying time of 523.25 hours.
Pilot - P/O Henry Lloyd Maurice Young RCAF (J/15006), aged 23, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Buried Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Henry Young was born on 5th April 1918 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was the son of Henry and Edith Alberta (nee Speer) Young. His father died when he was a boy and his mother remarried Andrew Grieg in the late 1920s. After leaving high school in 1938 Henry began working as a truck driver for a company in Edmonton. He enlisted for RCAF service on 21st June 1940 in Edmonton and undertook pilot training in Canada. He married Edna Gwendolyn MacArthur on 27th January 1941, who was a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and she gave birth to a baby son just ten days before her husband Henry was killed in North Yorkshire. Their son was subsequently named Henry Lloyd Maurice. Henry was awarded his Wings the day after his wedding on 28th January 1941 and he was posted overseas a few weeks later, arriving in the UK by boat on 6th March 1941. Four days later he was posted to No.2 A.A.C.U. and then on to 57 O.T.U. on 9th June 1941. He received a commission on 26th July 1941 and was finally posted to 145 Squadron on 11th August 1941. He had a total of 367 flying hours at the time of his death, with 124 hours being on Spitfire type, and all of which in the last six months of his life. He was buried at Catterick on 1st November 1941.
The aircraft crashed into one of the fields towards the right of the photograph and in the foreground of the photograph shown above. The photograph below shows the general area of where this accident occurred as viewed from the south. Air historians Ken Reast, Albert Pritchard and Eric Barton attempted to locate this site in the 1990s by field walking with permission from the tenant farmer, not realising the field was owned or managed by the National Trust their attempt to find where this young Canadian lost his life was cut short when a National Trust employee stopped their search.
Thanks to Mr Ken Luck and Mrs Florrie Leng for recounting their memories to me with regard this incicident. Both have since died.