Hind K6628 between Barnard Castle and Bowes.
On Thursday, 16th September 1937 this 218 Squadron aircraft was being flown over Northern England, the reason for which I have yet to learn as the squadron was based at Upper Heyford. During the flight the crew became lost so considered a forced landing in a field next to the Barnard Castle to Bowes road but opted to overshoot the landing, unfortunately the aircraft struck a wall and then crashed beside the road. A newspaper report on the incident refers to a large number of people being at the crash site not long after the accident so I presume the incident was nearer to Barnard Castle than perhaps to Bowes. The pilot received facial injuries and the observer received a broken ankle. Both were taken to the military hospital at Catterick Camp. The wrecked aircraft was taken to Catterick airfield where it received assessment and it was struck off charge on 8th January 1938.
Pilot - P/O John Edward Mahony RAF (39237). Slightly injured.
Observer - Cpl Davis. Slightly injured.
John Mahony received a commission towards the end of 1936 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation and was posted to 218 Squadron on 20th June 1937. As F/O he was posted missing on 18th July 1940 while flying with 57 Squadron when Blenheim R3661 was shot down on an operational flight. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.