Hurricane P3656 near Appletreewick, Wharfedale.
On 9th November 1941 the pilot of this No.56 Operational Training Unit Hurricane was undertaking a training flight that involved a degree of flying in cloud. The pilot became lost and while he received directions through his radio equipment his grasp of the English language prevented him from understanding them. The aircraft eventually ran out of fuel and the pilot was left to make a forced landing in the Appletreewick area of Wharfedale, possibly in the Troller's Gill area. The aircraft was belly landed and received damage though was taken away for repair. Given the pilot was based at Sutton Bridge he was many miles away from his home airfield when he force landed in the Wharfedale area.
Pilot - P/O Tarlochan Singh IAFVR.
Hurricane P3656 was built to contract 962371/38 by the Gloster Aircraft Company Ltd. at Hucclecote and was awaiting collection in May 1940. It was initially allocated to 234 Squadron at Church Fenton but this was a Spitfire unit so the aircraft was then taken on charge by 504 Squadron at Wick as a replacement for aircraft lost during the Battle of France. It then moved with 504 Squadron around the UK, on 21st June 1940 to Castletown, on 1st September 1940 to Catterick, on 5th September 1940 to Hendon, on 26th September 1940 to Filton, on 18th December 1940 to Exeter and to Fairwood Common on 21st July 1941. 504 Squadron ceased operating Hurricane MkI's in August 1941 so the aircraft was transferred to the newly reformed 133 Squadron at Coltishall for use as a training aircraft as this unit was intending to operate Hurricane MkIIB's. It then moved with them to Duxford on 15th August 1941. On an unknown date it was transferred to 56 OTU at Sutton Bridge and as a result of this forced landing near Appletreewick on 9th November 1941 Cat.B/FA was the damaged assessment. From here it was dismantled and transported by road for a repair in works but on completion of repair it passed into MU storage. It later served with 1449 (Fighter) Flight at St.Mary's, Scilly Isles but was deemed a time expired airframe and in July 1943 it was converted to ground instructional airframe 4012M.
Later in the month Tarlochan Singh was serving as a staff pilot at 7 Air Gunnery School, based at Worthy Down. He was one of twenty four Indian pilots who travelled from India to the UK in 1940 to undertake pilot training with the RAF. Their arrival and early training was well publicised in photographs taken during this time. They trained at 12 FTS, 9 FTS and possibly 56 OTU before receiving individual postings. I credit Jagan Pillarisetti with researching Tarlochan Singh and he runs a superb website at "www.bharat-rakshak.com". Another of these Indian pilots P/O Hukam Chand Mehta IAFVR had died in a flying accident in November 1941 when Hurricane Z3150 crashed into Peel Fell on the Northumberland / Scotland border.