Blenheim K7083 at Church Fenton airfield.
On 22nd February 1941 this 54 OTU aircraft was being flown on a local flying training night exercise. At 02.00hrs this aircraft requested to land at Church Fenton and was given the signal to land. He did not acknowledge the signal. A short time later the pilot of Blenheim L6731 also requested permission to land and having had no reply from the pilot of K7083 the controller assumed that he was not landing so gave the pilot of L6731 permission to land. As both aircraft then began to make an approach to land at the same time on the same runway and realising that a collision was about to happen the ground controller tried to signal to the higher aircraft, Blenheim K7083, to abort the landing but the Blenheim sank onto the top of Blenheim L6731. This aircraft was above and slightly behind Blenheim L6731 so that K7083 was effectively in the blind spot of the pilot of L6731. The collision forced L6731 down on to the runway and it slide to a halt. K7083 also crashed and the fuselage broke behind the rear turret. Unfortunately the nose part of this aircraft then bounced into the air and crashed nosedown onto the runway and then slide to a halt. Both Blenheims caught fire, the pilot of L6731 was able to make his own escape but the pilot of K7083 was sadly killed.
Pilot - P/O Alan Sherwood Cameron RAFVR (83212), aged 30, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Buried Kirkby Wharfe Cemetery, Yorkshire.
P/O Alan Cameron's gravestone at Kirkby Wharfe Cemetery. Alan Cameron was born on 1st September 1910 in Brisbane, Australia, his father lived
in Sherwood, Queensland, Australia. After attending school Alan joined the Australian Armed Forces and learnt to fly in Australia. He was granted a
short service commission in the RAFVR on 5th August 1940 to the rank of P/O on probation. His older brother Waverley Edward Cameron served in the
RAF having risen to W/Co, he died on 6th April 1941 serving with 107 Squadron.
Pilot - None.
Blenheim K7083 was built to contract 43506/35 by The Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd. at Filton and was delivered as a Blenheim Mk.I bomber to
144 Squadron at Hemswell on 5th October 1937. On 11th January 1938 it was slightly damaged, with Cat.R/FA being recorded, when it was
belly landed on farmland after becoming lost in fog (the location is not yet known). No injuries were reported and the aircraft was repaired
on site and it was flown out. This was particularly a bad day for 144 Squadron as they lost K7082 in exactly the same circumstances. On 9th
April 1938 K7083 moved with the unit to North Coates, then on 7th May 1938 with the unit to Hemswell. On 20th April 1939 it was flown to 6 MU
at Brize Norton for conversion to a Mk.1f variant and was then placed into storage. On 3rd October 1939 it was flown to 5 MU at Kemble for long
term storage. On 19th August 1940 it was taken on charge by 604 Squadron at Middle Wallop but was seemed unsuitable for their purposes and was
transferred to 20 MU at Aston Down for long term storage again. On 10th December 1940 it was taken on charge by 54 OTU at Church Fenton. As a
result of the accident at Church Fenton as recorded above Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded and it was struck off charge soon after on 6th March
1941 with 274 hours, 35 minutes total flying time.