Hawker Audax K5124 at High Yedmandale Farm, West Ayton.
On 17th May 1938 the pilot of this aircraft was undertaking a cross country training flight at night when he became lost in the Scarborough area, the aircraft was heard on the ground to have been circling the area for some time before the aircraft crashed. The pilot baled out at around 03.00hrs and the Audax crashed onto High Yedmandale farm house badly damaging the house. The occupants of the house had a lucky escape, Mr Albert Stonehouse, his wife, son and two daughters all survived. Mr Stonehouse was awoken by the noise of the crash, he went out of his bedroom, which was undamaged and found the aircraft's axle on his landing and the wheels on the staircase. The pilot landed about a mile and a half from the crash, he was rushed back to the site in a motor car but was previously unaware where the aircraft had come down. The bedroom of one of his son was badly damaged though he escaped serious injury.
Audax K5124 was built to contract 389427/35 by A.V. Roe Ltd at Chadderton and delivered directly to 7 FTS on 19th February 1936. It was
transferred to RAFC Cranwell on 17th September 1936. It sustained Cat.W/FA damage as a resuly of the above incident and the wreckage was taken to RAF Driffield for assessment where it was struck off charge on 2nd August 1938. It had a total flying time of 399.55 hours.
Pilot - Flight Cadet Micheal Savage RAF, of Mayfield, Sussex.
Civilian - Mr Albert Stonehouse, of High Yedmandale Farm, Great Ayton.
The crash scene as pictured in a local newspaper, believed to have been the Northern Echo. Judging by this photograph is was a miracle that there were no civilian casualties.
The aircraft crashed through the roof of this farm house which was then rebuilt.
Civilian - Mrs Stonehouse, of High Yedmandale Farm, Great Ayton.
Civilian - Master Edward Stonehouse, of High Yedmandale Farm, Great Ayton.
Civilian - Ms Stonehouse, of High Yedmandale Farm, Great Ayton.
Civilian - Ms Stonehouse, of High Yedmandale Farm, Great Ayton.
Micheal Savage was born in Wokingham, Berkshire on 6th April 1918 and was educated at Hillside School, Reigate and later King's School, Canterbury. He entered Cranwell RAF Officer Training College in 1936 after leaving school and was flying a training flight when the incident
recorded above occured. At the time of the accident near Great Ayton he had flown a total of 175 hours with 55 hours being on the Audax type.
He passed out of Cranwell as a King's Cadet in 1936. As would be expected, Micheal Savage served in the Second World War in the RAF.
He received a permanent commission to the rank of P/O in the RAF on 30th July 1930. He was promoted to F/O on 31st January 1940, then further promotions to F/Lt on 1st December 1940 and S/Ldr on 20th November 1942. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre (with Palm) on an unknown date and with an unknown squadron but must have been while flying operationally from the UK over France. He served in India in 1943 and spent around a year at the RAF Staff HQ in India but returned to the UK to command 175 Squadron in January 1944. His life was sadly cut short less than two months before the end of hostilities. Squadron Leader Savage was killed on 19th March 1945 whilst serving with 175 Squadron flying Typhoon RB214 when his aircraft crashed near Hamm and is now buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery. He was twenty six years old. He is commemerated on the Westgate On Sea, Kent War Memorial.
