Hawker Audax K5209 at Catfoss aerodrome.
On 17th December 1937 this Audax ran on to soft ground at Catfoss aerodome after landing and it came to rest upside down. The aeroplane was on the books with No.11 Flying Training School who were based at Wittering and whom were almost certainly undertaking an annual training camp at Catfoss to carry out bombing and gunnery training.
Pilot - Name unknown.
Audax K5209 was built to contract 389426/35 by the Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd. at Filton and was taken on charge by 11 F.T.S. at Wittering on 6th February 1936. On 17th December 1937 it sustained minor damage at Catfoss that saw a Cat.M/FA damage assessment and a repair on site. After being returned to 11 F.T.S. at Wittering it then moved with the unit to Shawbury on 16th May 1938. It's later history is slightly confusing. The published Air Britain history states that on 10th October 1939 it crashed On 13th November 1939 it was taken to Marshalls Ltd. at Cambridge for assessment but according to Air Britain was then struck off charge two days later. This is entirely plausable even though Marshalls had a repair contract. That said, a later casualty file in the National Archives under reference AIR81/2250 states that on 21st October 1940 K5209 crashed at Shawbury injuring the then pilot F/Sgt C C Thurrell. It could well be that it was repaired after the November 1939 incident, returned to 11 F.T.S. after repair and then crashed again on 21st October 1940 after which it was written off. Unfortunately without seeing the AM Form 78 for the aircraft confirming what happened is not yet possible.