Hector K9723 near Filey.
On 10th February 1938 the pilot of this aircraft was on a night exercise when he became lost
in bad weather whilst flying over the East Coast, he force-landed the aircraft in a ploughed
field near Filey where upon the aircraft overturned. It is not known whether there were any injuries
sustained. The investigation reported: "The pilot...
found difficulty in stowing the Very pistol and as a result lost direction".
Pilot - P/O Gerald W P Derbyshire RAF, uninjured.
A Hector being used as a tug aircraft at the unit stated above.
Gerald Derbyshire received his commission on 16th April 1935 to the rank of P/O on probation,
he was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 16th April 1936. Nothing more is known of his RAF career.
Hector K9723 was built to contract 521856/36 by Westland Aircraft Ltd at Yeovil and delivered directly to 26 Squadron
at Catterick on 23rd August 1937. It suffered Cat.M/FA in the incident near Filey with the engine sustaining
Cat.R/FA damage. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service and flown back to Catterick. It was later transferred
to 19 MU St. Athan for storage on 21st April 1939. It was moved to Rollasons Aircraft & Engines Ltd at Croydon on 20th
September 1939 and then on to 27 MU at Shawbury on 4th March 1940. It's useful life started again when it was issued to the Station Flight at
Elmdon on 15th October 1940 and it moved on to the Central Landing Establishment at Ringway on 3rd June 1941. (This was the School for
Airborne Forces, gliders and paratroops). It was transferred very quickly to The Glider Training Squadron (GTS) at Thame
on 11th June 1941 and was used for towing Hotspur gliders. On 6th July 1941 it suffered a more serious Cat.W/FA when it
damaged it's tender undercarriage on take off from Thame - a common problem with the type.
Although the aircraft got airborne a landing was deemed out of the question so it was abandoned near Sydenham, Oxfordshire and crashed.
It had a total of 240 hours flying time at the time of it's loss.
