On 25th July 1940 this No.1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit aircraft was being given a test flight in the area around Silloth airfield, the aircraft suffered engine failure in the Aspatria area while flying
at a low height. At 10.30hrs the pilot force landed on Threapland Moss, Bothel with the undercarriage up and the aircraft did not stop before it struck a hedge. One of the crew sustained injuries and the aircraft was badly damaged with both engines being torn off their mountings. Nothing else is known about this incident when the webpage was created. The aircraft was transferred from 22 MU at Silloth to 1 (C)OTU also at Silloth on 3rd June 1940. This incident probably occurred pretty much on what became the National Park boundary.
Pilot - P/O William Bradshaw RAF (43413). Slightly injured.
? - AC2 Harnon RAF (654717). Uninjured.
William Bradshaw gained his Wings in February 1933 and was a very experienced pilot at the time of this mishap near Bothel, at that time he had a total of 1961 hours flying to his name but with just 29 hours on the Botha type. To get these high hours he must have done a lot of pre-WW2 flying. Searching Flight Magazine archives he probably served with 210 Squadron in 1934 and 1935 and was part of the crew of Singapore K3592 that flew the aircraft out to Singapore in early 1935, sadly another Singapore flying the same route crashed in Sicily. On arrival nearly four months after setting out the flying boats were then handed to 205 Squadron and the 210 Squadron personnel returned to the UK by boat. F/Sgt William Bradshaw (590115) received his commission on 1st April 1940 to the rank of P/O on probation (43413) and rose to F/O on 1st April 1941. He was awarded the DFC for service with 240 Squadron, Gazetted on 2nd June 1942, and then Mentioned in Despatches on 11th June 1942 and again on 2nd June 1943. He was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 1st April 1942 and S/Ldr (war subs) on 5th November 1943. As Acting W/Co he was Mentioned in Despatches again 1st January 1945 and was also awarded the OBE in King George VI's Birthday Honours List on 14th June 1945. He was appointed to a permanent commission in the RAF as S/Ldr on 1st September 1945 and was later promoted to W/Co on 1st July 1947.
Botha L6124 was built to contact 563935/36 by Blackburn Aircraft Ltd and was received by 22 MU on 3rd March 1940. It was taken on charge by No.1 (C)O.T.U. at Silloth on 18th April 1940 and as a result of the crash on 25th July 1940 Cat.B damage was the initial damage assessment. It was taken to No.4 MU for a probable repair but was re-assessed and struck off charge on 31st July 1940.
The location of where this incident occurred has not yet been found. If you can assist please contact me
HERE. Thank you.
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