On the 23rd April 1944 the crew on board this aircraft took off at 22.13hrs and were undertaking an exercise with a fishing vessel in the Bridlington area. The actual reason for the flight is listed on the Form AM1180 as being "co-operation with pinnace" and a pinnace is thought to be a small vessel, with the crew practicing locating small ships at night. Whilst flying on instruments the aircraft struck the ground on Folkton Wold at 23.05hrs, bounced back into the air breifly before it skidding for a short distance and running over a raised track and verge at the edge of the field, this turned the aircraft over and after travelling for a short distance more it caught fire and burnt out. As part of the flight the aircraft would have had to fly low to find the target. The pilot was unaware of the rising ground to which he flew into to.
Pilot - F/Lt Robert Agnew RAAF (404816), aged 29, of Mackay, Queensland, Australia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Nav/WOp - F/Sgt Harold B (Ben) Blackwell RAFVR (1060671), aged 22, of Wrexham. Buried Wrexham Cemetery, Wales.
F/Sgt Blackwell was known by his second name Ben. He had played football for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the War League in the early part of the War. My thanks to Mr Owain Blackwell, nephew of Ben Blackwell for these photographs and for the information he was able to provide in this account.
Robert Agnew was born in December 1914 in Peeramon, Queensland and enlisted into the RAAF on 6th December 1940 in Brisbane.
In September 2008 I visited the site with fellow air historians Ken Reast, Albert Pritchard and Dick Barton. For a Beaufighter site there is still alot visable on the surface. The photograph above shows the site (not noted for its features!). Whilst nothing with a Beaufighter part number was located there were remains of 20mm canon shells, the only one identifable contained the lettering "K2 20mm, 1943", the "K2" reference refers to the KYNOCH manufacturer, and produced at their Standish factory located near Wigan who only made "K2" rounds during the War years. They were later taken over by ICI. in the field along with a fair ammount of other aircraft peices which are undoubtably from the Beaufighter. Thanks to the land owner for allowing out visit.
Mr Lee Norgate from Filey has also carried out work at this site in the past and his self-published book records that he found similar items as us at the crash site.