Lysander V9715 at Clifton airfield.
On 17th February 1942 this 4 Squadron crew were making practice dives on an air to ground gunnery (camera) targets at their home airfield of Clifton, York. The crew were firing the aircraft's forward firing .303 machine guns at targets on the ground; a gun was located in each wheel spat. This was the pilot's first such flight in the aircraft type. The attacks were made from a height of 1200ft diving at around 40-45 degrees with the pilot pulling up well before ground level. At 11.35hrs, during one of the diving attacks the aircraft pulled out of the dive too low, at around 100 feet off the ground, it then sank towards, then onto the ground and then bounce along the airfield for around a hundred yards until the undercarriage collapsed and the starboard wing tip hit the ground. This caused the starboard wing to break off and the aircraft crash. It came to rest on the east-west runway at Clifton airfield severely damaged. The crash resulted in both airmen being injured and both were admitted to hospital, sadly the pilot later died in Fulford Military Hospital of his injuries.
The 4 Squadron ORB is rather vague, it simply states "Fatal accident to P/O L E G Buck". The investigation stated that the pilot was only trained in a Lysander MkII and had only flown the MkIII twice before this incident, the MkIII was fitted with armour plating which would have made the aircraft heavier. It was thought that his inexperience on the type resulted in him not allowing for this extra weight when pulling out of the dive and the weight had caused the aircraft to sink into the
ground while pulling out of the dive.
Lysander V9715 was built to contract B54504/39 by Westland at Yeovil and was delivered into RAF MU storage in June 1941. It was issued to 4 Squadron on an unknown date and served with them until being written off as a result of the damage sustained on 17th February 1942. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded oon the paperwork following assessment.
Pilot - P/O Leonard Edward Gordon Buck RAFVR (112003), aged 30, of Rotton Park, Birmingham. Buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt James Boyd RAFVR (937435). Injured.
P/O Buck's gravestone in Fulford Cemetery, York. He was known by his third name Gordon. While serving in the Royal Regiment of Artillery he was granted a commission in August 1940. He then transferred to the RAF and received a commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on an unknown date. He then appears to have been serving in the Equipment Branch of the RAF when he was graded as P/O on probation on 27th October 1941 but then appears to have transferred to the RAFVR and was granted a commission on 19th November 1941 to P/O on probation (emergency). He was married and with a small child when he died.
James Boyd recovered from his injuries. He received a commission at the end of 1942 and survived the war.
