Fairey Gordon K2686 at Catfoss aerodrome.
On 27th May 1933 the crew of this 35 Squadron Fairey Gordon undertook a cross country training flight. The squadron were based at Bircham Newton, Norfolk but during the course of the flight a landing was made at Catfoss aerodrome though the reason for this is not known. After landing the pilot began taxying downwind and lost control, it unfortunately taxied into parked 10 Squadron Vickers Virginia K2336 and both aeroplanes received minor damage. The named pilot given below is taken from a transcript of the AM Form 1180 kindly supplied to me by the late Pete Tresadern, unfortunately no rank is given and I cannot find any other reference to a pilot with this name in the 35 Squadron record books for the era.
Pilot - A R Ross.
Fairey Gordon K2686 was built to contract 126629/31 by Fairey Aviation Ltd. at Hayes, Middlesex and was taken on charge by 35 Squadron at Bircham Newton on 14th June 1932. As a result of the mishap at Catfoss on 27th May 1933 Cat.M/FA damage would have been the damage assessment and a repair on site would have been carried out. The repair did not take long because it was being used by 35 Squadron by mid-July 1933 when they carried out a simulated raid on a balloon shed at Cardington. On 20th November 1933 it was placed into store at No.2 Aircraft Storage Unit at Cardington. On 22nd January 1936 the aeroplane was taken on charge by No.2 Armament Training Camp at North Coates. On 8th October 1937 it was converted to ground instructional airframe 994M and after this nothing more of the aeroplane's history is known.