On 22nd February 1940 this aircraft sustained damage after combat with enemy aircraft and the pilot made a forced-landing on Redcar Racecourse at 23.45hrs, with the two
men on board escaping injury. The aircraft was reportedly undamaged in the landing but was severely damaged with bullet holes.
Pilot - P/O Aston Maurice Cooper-Key RAF (40802), of Hythe, Kent. Uninjured.
Crew - Names unknown. Uninjured.
Aston Cooper-Key was born in Kensington, London in 1918, he was the son of Major Astleigh Langrishe Cooper-Key. He was granted a short service commission in the RAF in April 1938 as Acting P/O on probation before being graded as P/O on 4th April 1939. After completing all his training he was posted to 23 Squadron in January 1939 where he served until being posted to 46 Squadron in July 1940. He was to be killed on 24th July 1940 when Hurricane P2585 crashed near Normanton, Derbyshire after the aircraft suffered engine failure. He is buried at Scopwick Church, Lincolnshire. He was twenty one years old. On 24th July 2008 a memorial was erected close to the site which occured on a railway embankment.
Blenheim L1450 was built to contract 527114/36 by The Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd. at Filton, Bristol and delivered to the RAF in January 1939. It was issued to 23 Squadron at Wittering later that year. Following the accident detailed above Cat.R damage was recorded and it was then inspected by 60MU but it may well have never been fully repaired as it was converted into ground instructional airframe 3169M in March 1941 at an unknown location.