Blenheim K7114 at Church Fenton airfield.
On 9th March 1941 the trainee pilot of this 54 O.T.U. aircraft had been given forty five minutes instructional flying in a dual controlled Blenheim. Twenty
five minutes later he was instructed to undertake his first solo in Blenheim K7114 and was to carry out a basic training flight of a series of local
circuits and landings. He had completed the first of these landings and left to circle to do a second but it was while he was making a wide circuit
of the airfield and flying at around 600 feet the port wing dropped and the aircraft side-slipped into the ground. It was initially though that the
port engine may have cut out in the airfield circuit which caused the wing to drop. Both engines were sent away for examination, nothing was found
to be wrong with the starboard engine but the port engine was found to have been excessively oily and this may have caused the engine to cut out.
The pilot's career is being researched, although a trainee on the Blanheim type his rank suggests that he was probably a full-fledged airman. He
may have been training on night-fighters.
Pilot - S/Ldr Charles Richard John Pink RAF (33093), aged 26, wife of Salisbury. Cremated Lawns Woods, Leeds, Yorkshire.
Charles Pink's birth was registered in the Portsmouth district of Hampshire in 1914 and he married in the Dorchester district
of Dorset in 1939. He was the son of A/Cdr Pink, famous for "Pink's War", this was a short war carried out independently of the RAF,
commanded by the then W/Co Richard Charles Montagu Pink, against the mountain strongholds of the Mahsud tribesmen in South Waziristan
in March and April 1925. The area is the modern day area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. W/Co Richard Pink was promoted to G/Cpt for
his service in this short conflict. The action saw two British deaths and one air accident. He was promoted to A/Cdr but died in 1931.
Blenheim K7114 was built to contract 43506/35 by The Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd. at Filton as a bomber version and was delivered
to 90 Squadron at Bicester on 7th December 1937. On 5th May 1939 it was flown to 6 MU at Brize Norton where it was converted to MkIf status.
On completion of the conversion it was flown to 5 MU at Kemble on 23rd October 1939 for preparation for dispatch to a unit. Just over a
month later on 25th November 1939 it was taken on charge by 145 Squadron at Croydon but on 10th February 1940 whilst on a formation practice
flight along with Blenheim K7091, the aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision near Gatwick. Both pilots were able to make safe landings
but Cat.R/FA damage was recorded, the aircraft was then repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 16th April 1940 it transferred to 5 OTU
at Aston Down, on 1st November 1940 5 OTU was re-designated 55 OTU and all Blenheim's allotted to 54 OTU which formed on 25th November 1940. It
was taken on charge by 54 OTU at Church Fenton on 16th December 1940 but written off as a result of the accident stated above on 9th March 1941
with Cat.E2/FA damaged being recorded.