Heyford K5188 near Flaxton, York.
Heyford K5188.
On 12th December 1936 this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Aldergrove, Northern Ireland at 10.45hrs to return to their base at Finningley, it had left in formation with six other aircraft, K4864, K4868, K6900, K4874, K6898 plus one other and all would run into bad weather with many being damaged in crash landings. This aircraft force landed after becoming lost in bad weather near Flaxton. The aircraft was slightly damaged in the landing but after minor repairs were carried out and refuelling, it took off the next day and returned to Finningley. Of the other lost aircraft, all had trouble finding Finningley. Heyford K6900 would crash into high ground at Chisley, near Hebden Bridge killing three, the pilot surviving. Another crashed near Oldham, another near Gainsborough and two at Disley. Fog was blamed for all the crashes and ice forming on the aircraft was reported which would have effected control. All aircraft were carrying wireless sets but none worked when ice formed on the aerials. This was a bad day for the RAF.
A photograph which appeared in the York newspaper around the time of this landing showing the Heyford on the ground at Flaxton.
Pilot - F/O John Edwin Campbell Gascoigne Flemyng Gyll-Murray RAF (34105). Of Australia.
Three others - Names unknown.
John Gyll-Murray in a sunnier place. He was born on 14th January 1914 and on joining the RAF his first unit posting was to 7 Squadron which he joined on 2nd September 1930, he became a P/O on probation on 22nd September 1933 and a graded as P/O exactly a year later. On 1st October 1935 he joined 102 Squadron, the unit he was serving with when the mishap detailed above took place. He rose to F/O on 22nd May 1936. He joined 51 Squadron on 1st June 1937 and became a flying instructor at 11 FTS on 6th November in the same year. He was promoted to F/Lt on 22nd May 1938 and would later join 106 Squadron on 19th February 1940 and 44 Squadron on 26th April 1940. He rose to Acting S/Ldr on the same date. He was awarded the DSO on 22nd October 1940 as Acting W/Co. He would later command 144 Squadron, 14 OTU, 455 Squadron, 244 Squadron and he survived the War. His last known posting was at Air Traffic Control Centre at Uxbridge.
Heyford K5188 was built to contract 389373/35 by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett and was delivered to RAE at Farnborough for vibration tests on 11th October 1935. When Farnborough had finished with the aircraft it was sent to No. 2 ASU at Cardington for storage. The aircraft was prepared for service during the summer of 1936 and issued to 102 Squadron at Worthy Down on 20th July 1936. On 3rd September 1936 the unit moved to Finningley. It sustained so minor damage at Flaxton that repairs were completed on site and it was flown out the next day. The aircraft moved with the unit to Honington on 7th July 1937 and made one last move with 102 Squadron to Driffield on 11th July 1938. In October the same year 102 Squadron converted to Whitley III's and the aircraft was placed into storage in an unknown ASU or MU. Records are a little vague but the aircraft is known to have served with 4 AOS at West Freugh, the date of issue being stated as 2nd May 1939 though according to RAF records 4 AOS did not form until November 1939 though there are records of personnel serving with 4 AOS in July 1939. The aircraft was struck off charge on 19th July 1940 and scrapped soon after.