Hart K5813 at Thornaby aerodrome.

On 20th June 1936 this No.9 Flying Training School aircraft was damaged when Hart K5805 ran into it on the ground at Thornaby airfield. K5813 was later repaired and it had a long service life.

Pilot - Acting P/O Anthony Orlando Bridgman RAF (37667).


Anthony Bridgman received a commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 23rd March 1936. He was graded as P/O on 27th March January 1937 and was promoted to F/O on 20th May 1938, then to Acting F/Lt on 2nd March 1939 and rose to F/Lt (war subs) on 24th February 1940. He was graded as F/Lt on 27th August 1940. He was awarded the DFC in 1940, Gazetted on 31st May 1940 while in the rank of Acting S/Ldr but the reasons behind this award are not yet known. As Acting S/Ldr he was taken PoW on 24th September 1940 while serving with 83 Squadron, on this date he was the pilot of Hampden L4049 on Ops to Berlin when the aircraft was hit by flak over Germany and crashed with him being the only survivor. He remained in the RAF at least until 1946. He died in Devon in 2006. His brother Brian Orlando Bridgman was killed when Mosquito RL197 crashed into the mountain of Great Whernside, Yorkshire in 1948.
Hart K5813 was built to contract 410420/35 by Vickers at Weybridge and was delivered to 9 FTS on 17th March 1936. After suffering this accident in June 1936 it was repaired and returned to service with 9 FTS until being transferred to 3 ASU on 10th May 1938 for storage. It was sent to PD (Packing Depot) on 6th September 1938 and shipped to AD Seletar on 17th October 1938 and then transferred to SSVAF on 17th November 1938. It was later sent to Iraq on 31st May 1940 and then to the Middle East on 4th December 1940. It later served with 89 Squadron from December 1941 to an unknown date when it was transferred to 274 Squadron and was eventually struck off charge on 25th November 1942.

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