On 7th December 1942 this 2 (C)OTU aircraft took off from Catfoss airfield at 08.45hrs with the crew tasked with a training flight, they were authorised to carry out a "visual homing" exercise. At 09.00hrs the aircraft was heard over the Hunmanby area but was not seen as it was flying in thick cloud which was over the area. Shortly afterwards the aircraft was seen to break cloud at 2000 feet and to be in a spin. The pilot was able to partially recover from the spin at around 1000 feet but then it entered a flat spin from which it did not recover before it struck the ground near Vicarage Farm, Bridlington Road, Hunmanby at 09.10hrs. Both airmen were sadly killed in the crash. An examination of the wreckage could find no fault with the airframe, controls or engines so it was assumed that the pilot had simply lost control while flying in thick cloud and was unable to recover in the height available.
Beaufighter T5317 was built to contract B.41906/39 by Fairey Aviation Ltd. at Stockport and was awaiting collection in October 1942. It was delivered as new to 2 (C)OTU later the same month. As a result of this crash on 7th December 1942 the aircraft was written off with Cat.E2/FA damage recorded.
Pilot - Sgt Ian John Land RNZAF (414306), aged 21, of Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Buried Brandesburton Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Navigator - Sgt William Ronald Evans RAFVR (1319211), aged 20. Formerly of Pontypridd, Wales. Buried Woodford Bridge Churchyard, Essex.
Sgt Ian Land and his grave at Brandesburton Churchyard.
William "Ronnie" Evans was the eldest son of the late Mr & Mrs D Evans formerly of Pontypridd, South Wales. He spent his early life in Wales but after the death of his father in 1932 his family moved to and lived in Woodford Bridge. His mother died in July 1943. Prior to enlisting he was a choir boy at St.Pauls Church, Woodford Bridge and a pupil at Leyton Technical College and had joined the Home Guard before enlisting. He left three sisters and a brother. I thank Mr Adrian Lee for the photograph of Sgt Evans' grave and for looking up his death notification in the local Woodford newspaper.