Blackburn B.2 G-ACBH at Brough.
I have no direct information of my own for this incident. Stated by others to have occurred on an unknown date in 1938 a taxying collision occurred at Brough when G-ACBH collided on the ground with another unidentified Blackburn B.2 when it was taxying without brakes. G-ACBH sustained damage to it's lower wing. The identity of the other aeroplane is not known.
Pilot - Name unknown.
G-ACBH was built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company Ltd at Brough. The civilian registration history for the aeroplane is rather complicated, it appears to have been first registered to The North Sea Aerial and General Transport Company Ltd. at Brough on 1st December 1932 but it appears to have not been completed by this date so this is probably an error. The first prototype B.2 first flew on 10th December 1932 and was not G-ACBH. G-ACBH was the third production aircraft so it probably flew early in 1933. The CAA however list it being registered to Blackburn Aircraft Ltd. on 9th December 1936 with no other users before this date. It is more likely that it was used by The North Sea Aerial and General Transport Company Ltd. with their flying school at Brough until this became 4 E. and R.F.T.S. in 1935 and the aircraft continued to be operated by them. No.4 E. & R.F.T.S. was taken over by Blackburn Aircraft Ltd in April 1936 and it was used by them. It is next recorded as sustaining repairable damage on an unspecified date in 1938 when it collided on the ground with another unidentified Blackburn B.2 at Brough, taxying without brakes. It sustained damage to it's lower wing and was repaired on site by Blackburn's and was returned to the flying school. No.4 E&RFTS was re-designated 4 E.F.T.S. in the early weeks of the War, probably on 3rd September 1939 although the 15th October 1939 is also quoted elsewhere. On 6th March 1940 it crashed near Broomfleet and one of the then crew died of his injuries. The wreckage was recovered to Brough where, over a twelve month period, the aircraft was rebuilt using parts of B.2 G-ADFO that had crashed at Newport, near Brough on 3rd September 1940. The rebuilt aircraft was then impressed by the Air Ministry, with the military paperwork giving the date when this was made as 14th July 1942. It was later converted into instructional airframe 2895M.
The Air Britain published records state that some time later it was transported by road to the Brentwood Institute, Essex, for use by 692 Squadron ATC. What the Brentwood Institute was is not known and I would welcome contact from anyone who can answer this question. This may have been why and when it became an instructional airframe. The aircraft later appears photographed in a tree in Dixon's Scrapyard at Ramsden Heath, Essex, the photograph was later published in Ken Ellis' book "Wrecks and Relics" 1st Edition. Here it remained as a fuselage minus the engine until 1984, when it was purchased and placed into storage at a farm in Essex. It was offered for sale on Ebay in 2012 and was on display at Aeroventure, Doncaster when last checked.