The location of where this incident occurred is today probably best described as being "near Yarm" but Yarm was far smaller in 1938 with the massive housing developments to the south of the River Tees being made post-WW2.
On Saturday, 5th February 1938 this Thornaby-based 608 Squadron aircraft was flying very low in the Yarm, Low and High Worsall area when it crashed beside the Worsall Road after the engine cut out. The pilot lived close by at Far End and was alleged to have been showing off to his girlfriend at the time. The aeroplane was seen by people on the ground to circle very low for some time before he unfortunately tried to fly between two trees and hit them. Part of the wings were damaged and the aeroplane came to rest with it's nose in the ground and the tail in the air. The location of where the incident occurred is not well documented. Newspapers widely stated that it crashed on land owned by Issac Bainbridge, of Worsall and close to the Yarm to Worsall road. Others have suggested the crash site may have been just west of Far End and on land that the Tall Trees hotel and club complex was later built. Today this is Yarm; back then in very much wasn't.
Demon K3771 was built to contract 246267/33 by Hawker at Kingston and was delivered to Fighting Area on 27th May 1934. It was allocated to 41 Squadron at Aden on 10th October 1935 but returned to UK to 1 ASU on 11th November 1936. It was then issued to 608 Squadron on 6th January 1937. Cat.W/FA damage was recorded following the crash at Yarm and the aircraft was struck off charge on 1st March 1938.
Pilot - F/O Keith Pyman RAF(AAF) (90299). Of Whitby, Yorkshire. Injured.
Passenger ("Gunner")- LAC Knott. (Probably LAC James Knott RAFVR (808075)).
Keith Pyman was born on 13th April 1907 in London but later moved to Dunsley, Whitby, Yorkshire, a large family house resulting from a profitable family shipping buisness. He was awarded a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate (cert.no9579) at the De Havilland School of Flying on 28th October 1930. He received a commission in the RAF to the rank of P/O on 27th March 1931 and later received promotions to F/O on 27th September 1932 and F/Lt on 1st December 1936. As F/Lt he relinquished his commission on 2nd March 1940 due to being medically unfit for service. The assumption that this was the result of being injured in a flying accident, possibly the Yarm incident two years previously.
Keith Pyman was also a civilian pilot in the late 1920's and early 1930's; on 23rd October 1930 DH60 Gipsy Moth G-ABFT was registered to him and the certificate of airworthiness issued a week later. The aircraft was used at Dunsley aerodrome near Whitby, North Yorkshire probably because his parents lived at Dunsley Hall. He kept the aircraft until 31st July 1939 when it was registered to the Hartlepool and Teesside Flying Club based at West Hartlepool.