Hind K6628 between Barnard Castle and Bowes.
On Thursday, 16th September 1937 this 218 Squadron aircraft was being flown over Northern England, the reason for which I have yet to learn as the squadron was based at Upper Heyford. During the flight the crew became lost so considered a forced landing in a field next to the Barnard Castle to Bowes road but opted to overshoot the landing, unfortunately the aircraft struck a wall and then crashed beside the road. A newspaper report on the incident refers to a large number of people being at the crash site not long after the accident so I presume the incident was nearer to Barnard Castle than perhaps to Bowes. The pilot received facial injuries and the observer received a broken ankle. Both were taken to the military hospital at Catterick Camp. The wrecked aircraft was taken to Catterick airfield where it received assessment and it was struck off charge on 8th January 1938.
Pilot - P/O John Edward Mahony RAF (39237). Injured.
Observer - Cpl Davis. Slightly injured.
John Mahony was born on 18th February 1913 at Carrigaline, Cork, Ireland and was the son of John and Margaret Pauline (nee O'Malony) Mahony. His father died in 1924 and his mother remarried in Wandsworth, London in 1926. He received a commission towards the end of 1936 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation and was posted to 218 Squadron on 20th June 1937. When the 1939 Register was compiled his address given was No.39 Coventry Street, London, in what must have been flats. The property had a number of people living there from film actors, civil engineers, show girls, dancers, teachers and variety artists. When this census was made John was noted as serving with 218 Squadron. While in the rank of F/O he was posted missing on 18th July 1940 while flying with 57 Squadron when Blenheim R3661. His aircraft was shot down on an operational flight. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.