On Saturday, 14th June 1941 the pilot of this aircraft was delivering the aircraft to Usworth airfield to be used by 55 Operational Training Unit. The aircraft was collected from 151 Squadron at Wittering airfield and headed north but during the flight the weather made a turn for the worse. The pilot's inexperience on flying the aircraft type and flying in poor weather probably resulted in the aircraft drifting too far west in the wind and in poor visibility. The aircraft crashed into Redshaw Moss, not far from the Hawes to Ingleton road and sadly the pilot was killed in the accident. A local farmer accidentally located the crash site during the morning of 16th June 1941 while tending to sheep and contacted the local police. At least one other Hurricane being delivered to Usworth was damaged on this date after the pilot became lost, this time he force landed at Heslerton near Malton in North Yorkshire but was less seriously damaged.
Pilot - Sgt Donald Francis Henderson RCAF (R/62360). Aged 21. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Donald Henderson was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on 27th June 1919 to William and Ivy May (nee Snelling) Henderson. His father was born in Kirkcudbright and his mother was born in London but both had moved to Canada at young ages. As a young man he had worked as a surveyor and later as a stock receiever for companies in Saskatchewan. He enlisted into the RCAF for aircrew duties in Saskatoon on 9th August 1940 and after basic training he had gained his pilot Wings on 25th March 1941. He arrived in the UK on 19th May 1941 and was posted to 55 OTU not long after on 26th May 1941 for further training. The Henderson Lake in Saskatchewan is named in his honour. He is also commemorated on a family gravestone at Dalbeattie Cemetery.
Around twenty years ago I was sent this photograph and it was then claimed to be Donald Francis Henderson RCAF (R/62360). With there now being more information on RCAF casualties now available on the internet including photographs I believe this photograph may actually be of Donald Bruce Henderson RCAF (J/9674) who was killed in 1943.
Hurricane V7024 was built to contract 85730/40/23a by The Gloster Aircraft Company Ltd. at their Brockworth factory and was awaiting collection in December 1940. It was initially taken on charge by 308 Squadron at Baginton in early 1941 but 308 Squadron converted to Spitfire MkI's in April 1941 so the aircraft was transferred to 151 Squadron at Wittering. It was then taken on charge by 55 OTU at Usworth on 14th June 1941 but crashed on the delivery flight on the same day with a Cat.E2/FA damage assessment being recorded.