Magister P6350 near Tunstall.

On 12th November 1939 this aircraft was one of three that were to undertake a basic night flying circuit training exercise around Catterick airfield by 219 Squadron. This exercise was a common exercise flown by all pilots and involved taking off, flying a circuit of the airfield, making an approach to land followed by a landing. Normal procedure for such exercises at this time at Catterick was to make a left hand circuit of the airfield keeping it within sight. With the weather not perfect one weather test flight was made by the squadron's commanding offiver before the exercise began and it was deemed suitable. The training exercises were begun at around 18.15hrs and all three pilots made one successful short flight. After all three had landed the commanding officer made a second weather test flight and it again was passed as suitable. At just before 19.00hrs the second series of flights began. The first two pilots carried out theirs without incident. As the second pilot was making his approach land the third aircraft took off. On leaving the ground and climbing away the third aircraft began to make a left hand circuit of the airfield but as it headed west of the airfield sight was lost of it by those on the ground at the airfield. The Magister then crashed into a field near Tunstall, around half a mile from the "Somme Lines" at Catterick Camp. On crashing it caught fire the pilot was sadly killed in the crash. The aircraft was seen or heard by a number of people who gave statements at the pilot's inquest. Sgt Joseph Ford RAF (590269) was walking with his wife to the airfield along the A1 Great North Road from Catterick village when he saw the aircraft take off and he later saw a fire some distance away which he took to be a crashed aircraft. At least three soldiers stationed at Catterick Camp heard the aircraft and then a crash in a field near to where they were stood. They also believed that the aircraft's engine had stopped prior to the crash. Signalmen James Burnett, Arthur Cameron and Charles Haggerty, all of the Royal Corps of Signals, stated that they then saw a fire in a field about 1/4 of a mile from where they were at the time. They had made their way to the burning aircraft at 19.15hrs, Burnett saw that the pilot was trapped in the burning wreckage so released him and then all three soldiers managed to pull his body clear of the flames. It was believed that the injuries sustained in the crash had infact sadly killed the pilot. An investigation concluded that the pilot had lost sight of airfield lighting, then lost control and flew into the ground.

Pilot - P/O Stephen George Baker RAF (41245), aged 24, of Paignton. Buried Paignton Cemetery, Devon.