At 02.29hrs on 12th May 1943 this aircraft was damaged in an accident at Thornaby airfield but the cause
of the accident is not yet known. The crew escaped serious injury but the aircraft was badly damaged. Through contact with
one of the crew's sons, Mr Gary Heighington has kindly supplied this account with details from his father's log book.
The aircraft left Thornaby at 22.50hrs and the flight lasted four hours with the remark "OFT7 - C.Landed", the meaning
of OFT7 is not known but C.Landed probably means crash landed. Sgt Heighington next flew on 14th May 1943 air testing Hudson N7379
so he cannot have been seriously injured. This flight on 14th May 1943 turned out to be his last with 1 (c)OTU.
Pilot - F/O Percy H W Johnston RCAF (J/11986), of St.James, Manitoba, Canada. Slightly injured.
Navigator - F/O Robert Henry Stanwell RAFVR (132149), of Kirton, Lincolnshire. Slightly injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Albert Andrew Heighington RCAF, of Orillia, Canada. Slightly injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt F T Walsh RAF. Slightly injured.
Stanwell, Johnston, Heighington and Walsh were posted to 200 Squadron after completing this training course.
200 Squadron served in Africa and India and the airmen were posted overseas. Heighington flew with Johnston at
200 Squadron upto 17th August 1943, on 27th August 1943 F/O Johnston and F/O Stanwell were both listed as missing while on a
convoy patrol. They are commemerated on the Malta Memorial. Stanwell was twenty nine years old, Johnston was
thirty one. Heighington and Walsh were not with them on this date and subsequently they both survived the War having flown with
200 Squadron for much of that time and before the end of the War Albert Heighington received his commission.
Robert Stanwell received his commission 5th September 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) rising to
F/O on probation (war subs) on 5th March 1943.
Hudson AM859 was built by Lockheed-Vega at Burbank, California and purchased without contract by the B.P.C. It was delivered to the UK
in May 1941 by sea and after assembly and acceptance at MU it was issued to 608 Squadron at Thornaby in late 1941. When 608 Squadron left
Thornaby on 14th January 1942 this aircraft passed into the hands of 6 (c)OTU who used it until March 1943 when they too left Thornaby
and were replaced by 1 (c)OTU who took over charge of the aircraft. It was written off as result of the crash at Thornaby detailed
above with Cat.E2/FA damage being recorded.