Avro 504 K1044, suggested as crashing somewhere in North Yorkshire or Durham?

On Sunday, 23rd February 1936 this 608 Squadron aircraft was flying in fog when the pilot made a forced landing in a bog, the aircraft crashed and overturned. The location of this landing is not yet known but it is suggested to have been in North Yorkshire and if the aircraft was based at Thornaby then within reach of Thornaby aerodrome.

Avro 504 K1044 was built by A.V.Roe to contract 928312/29 and delivered to HAD on 2nd November 1929. It was transferred to 608 Squadron on an unknown date. The damage suffered in this force landing must have been bad as Cat.W/FA damage was recorded, it was struck off charge on 22nd August 1936, repair was possibly considered as it took six months to strike it off charge.

Pilot - F/Lt William Vernon Louis Spendlove RAF (26125).

William Spendlove trained at Cranwell in 1929 and played in the college cricket and hockey teams; one other member of both teams at the time was a young Douglas Bader. William Spendlove was granted a permanent commission in the RAF to the rank of P/O on 27th July 1929 and was posted to 3 Squadron at Upavon on the same date. He was promoted to F/O on 27th January 1931, F/Lt on 27th January 1935 and to S/Ldr on 1st June 1938. He was posted to 608 Squadron on 26th February 1935 as Assistant Adjutant. On 30th July 1938 he was posted to command 11 Squadron at Risalpur, India until 15th February 1940. He was Mentioned in Despatches for service in operations in Waziristan for the period 1st January 1939 to 31st December 1939, Gazetted on 25th October 1940. He later received the following promotions: W/Co (Temp) on 1st December 1940, G/Cpt (Temp) on 1st September 1942, and W/Co (war subs) on 30th December 1942. He was awarded the DSO in recognition of gallant and distinquished service with the RAF during the operations in Waziristan, Gazetted prior to January 1943.

While serving with 21 Squadron he was sadly killed on 22nd June 1943 while flying in Ventura AE910 on an attack on a gun position near Abbeville-Drucat airfield, France. He is buried in Abbeville Cemetery, France. The aircraft was shot down by flak at around 16.20hrs. At the time he was the Station Commander of Methwold airfield.

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