Magister L8275 near Horton in Ribblesdale.

This aircraft was on the books of 41 Squadron at the time of the incident. At 17.00hrs on 7th September 1940 this aircraft made a forced landing beside the railway line between Horton in Ribblesdale and Selside said to have been during a flight from "Brooklands" to Catterick. However 41 Squadron had just moved from Catterick to Hornchurch airfield a few days earlier and as a result it is slightly confusing that the aircraft was heading back to Catterick. During the landing in Ribbledale it clipped telegraph wires alongside the railway line as it landed and may have sustained some slight damage. The pilot had become lost and after running low on fuel he had made the forced landing. The aircraft's history makes no mention of it sustaining any damage in the incident at Horton in Ribblesdale suggesting that if damage was sustained then it was so minor that the unit repaired it. A reference to this incident was found in the L.M.S. railway diary of the day. This diary stated that the aircraft was an enemy aircraft but this is clearly an error.

Pilot - Name unknown.


Magister L8275 was built to contract 706883/37 by Phillips & Powys Ltd, at Woodley and was delivered directly to 41 Squadron at Catterick on 24th August 1938. It had a long service history. On 19th October 1939 it moved with the unit to Wick but returned to Catterick soon afterwards on 25th October 1939. On 28th May 1940 it moved with the unit to Hornchurch begining a series of switches between the two airfields. On 8th June 1940 it moved back to Catterick with the unit. On 26th July 1940 it moved back to Hornchurch with the unit. On 8th August 1940 it moved with back to Catterick and on 3rd September 1940 moved with unit to Hornchurch again. It is believed that it was repaired on site or being transported to a nearby site for repair and was then flown out. On 28th July 1941 it moved with the unit to Merston, on 16th December 1941 with the unit to Westhampnett and on 25th December 1941 it was sent to 32 MU at St.Athan. It was later taken on charge by 11 EFTS at Perth on 5th January 1942 before being transferred back to 41 Squadron at Merston on an unspecified date after 1st April 1942. On 14th June 1942 it was sent to Herts & Essex Aviation Ltd at Broxbourne for a major repair before, on 27th July 1942 passing to 46 MU at Lossiemouth. It was then taken on charge by 41 OTU at Old Sarum on an unknown date prior to 15th November 1942 as on that date it moved with that unit to Hawarden. It later transferred to 63 OTU at Honiley on 21st September 1943. On 11th May 1944 it passed to 51 MU at Lichfield for long term storage. On 13th February 1946 it was sold to Miles Aircraft Ltd, at Woodley. A couple of months later on 9th May 1946 it was sold to H. Hennequin & Cia, Argentina and on 30th June 1947 having arrived in Argentina it was registered as LV-XNE, to Secretaria Estado Aeronautica, at Buenos Aires. It later transferred to Cirl Universitario de Aviation, Argentina and on 24th September 1947 it suffered an accident but was repaired, the registration was cancelled as the aircraft was withdrawn from use in 1954.

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