On 10th September 1937 this Miles Falcon took off from Hatfield airfield for the 1442 mile air-race around the Great Britain and Ireland called the "Kings Cup Air Race". The
race would have taken two days to complete and this aircraft was eighteenth to start the race. On the first day of the race wind turbulance over the headland of Scarborough
Castle saw Miles Falcon G-AENG crashed into Scarborough Castle with the loss of both pilots and is detailed
here but other pilots were lucky and escaped with bruised heads. This Comper Swift successfully
completed the first day which finished in Dublin. On the second day of the race, 11th September 1937, this aircraft was undertaking the leg between Belfast and Blackpool, soon after
crossing the suffered Irish Sea the engine failed so the pilot made a successful landing on the beach at Ravenglass but it sustained slight damage. With the help of local people
the aircraft was pulled up the beach and clear of the tide and later repaired on site.
The history of this aircraft is well documented elsewhere on the internet, it was built in 1932 at Hooton
Park and first registered on the British civilian register as G-ABWH in June 1932. It was one of six Comper Swifts to take part in the King's Cup race in 1932 and won the Felixstowe Aero Trophy
race later that year. In May 1933 it was sold to Cpt Walter Hope, of Teddington, Middlesex who was based at Croyden. He flew it in the King's Cup race in 1933. In 1934 it was shipped to the
USA to be raced there and registered on the US register as NC27K but the following year it was shipped back to the UK and was restored as G-ABWH by Cpt Hope who entered it into the King's Cup race in
1935 but with-drew it before the start. It was flown in the 1936, 1937 and 1938 King's Cup races but later in 1938 was sold to an owner in Australia and shipped overseas where it was
registered on the Australian register as VH-ACG. Remarkably the aircraft is still in existance in Australia and was still airworthy in 2009. The photograph of it shown above was found on the internet.
Pilot - S/Ldr David Francis William Atcherley RAF (05168).
David Atcherley was born in January 1904 in York, he was initially rejected by the RAF on medical grounds but was later accepted in 1929. He took part in the 1931 King's Cup race
but retired due to a split fuel tank. During the Second World War he commanded 85 Squaddron, 253 Squadron and 25 Squadron but in August 1941 he was involved in a flying accident
that broke his neck when Beaufighter X7570 crashed on take off from Wittering on 25th August 1941. He later was Commanding Officer of 48 Group, 47 Group and 205 Group. For service
he was awarded the CBE (Gazetted 1st January 1946), DSO (Gazetted 14th July 1944) and DFC (Gazetted 29th July 1941) and was three times Mentioned in Destaches. On 7th June 1952 he
was flying Meteor WB161 from Egypt to Cyprus when the aircraft failed to arrive at Nicosia. No trace of him or the aircraft was ever found despite a hugh search operation. His
twin brother was Sir Richard Llewelyn Roger Atcherley KBE, CB, AFC and Bar, MiD x3.
The location of where this incident occurred in Cumbria has not yet been found. If you can assist please contact me
HERE. Thank you.