Oxford N6428 at Acaster Malbis airfield.
On 29th June 1942 the trainee pilot flying this No.15 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit aircraft lost control and spun into the ground immediately after taking off from Acaster Malbis airfield at 19.40hrs. Both airmen in the aircraft were killed. The instructor was buried at the parent airfield's local churchyard.
Trainee Pilot - Sgt Arthur Taylor RAFVR (1042357), aged 20, of Crosland Moor, Huddersfield. Buried Lockwood Cemetery, Huddersfield, Yorkshire.
Instructor - P/O John Langston Haggerty RAFVR (121296), aged 22, of Eltham, London. Buried Leconfield Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Oxford N6428 was built to contract 777546/38 by Airspeed Ltd. at Portsmouth and was awaiting collection in September 1939. It was initially taken on charge by 13 FTS on 18th September 1939 and based at Drem. On 10th October 1939 it was transferred to 3 SFTS at South Cerney and on 11th January 1941 it passed to the care of 15 SFTS at Kidlington. In February 1942 this unit moved to Leconfield and on 1st March 1942 the unit was re-designated as 15 (P)AFU. As a result of the fatal crash near Acaster Malbis on 29th June 1942 Cat.E/FA damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was written off.
P/O Haggerty's grave in Leconfield churchyard. His birth was registered in Bromley, Kent in 1920 and he received a commission on 7th February 1942 to P/O on probation (emergency).
