During the morning of 16th September 1939 this 220 Squadron aircraft was being flown on an anti-submarine patrol and had taken off from Thornaby at 06.15hrs. Because of bad weather the crew had been recalled and in this poor weather the aircraft was forced to make a landing at 07.15hrs on Redcar Racecourse. The aircraft was not damaged at all and took off again when the weather improved later that day.
Pilot - F/O Henry Outram Thwaite RAF (39399), Of Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Pilot - P/O Garth Wells Fuller Carey RNZAF (36169). Of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Air Gunner - AC Webster.
Garth Carey was awarded the DFC for service with 220 Squadron, Gazetted on 19th January 1940. His citation was a joint one with another member of his then crew; it reads.. "Pilot Officer Carey and Leading Aircraftman Crumpton were respectively pilot and air gunner of one of three aircraft carrying out a patrol over the North Sea in January 1940, when two enemy aircraft were encountered. Pilot Officer Carey opened fire at very close range, and was successful in driving the first enemy machine, in flames, into the sea. He then engaged the second enemy aircraft until he had exhausted his front gun ammunition, and by his skilful manoeuvring enabled Leading Aircraftman Crumpton to bring his gun into action at point blank range, inflicting considerable damage. The skill and coolness displayed by Leading Aircraftman Crumpton in the manipulation of his guns played a large part in bringing to combat to a successful conclusion." He killed on 14th July 1940 when Hudson N7231 struck a barrage balloon cable near Boldon Colliery, Durham and spun into the ground. All on board were killed. He is buried at Hylton Cemetery, Durham and was twenty four years old.
Henry Thwaite was the pilot of one of the Hudsons that spotted the German battleship Altmark on 16th February 1940 and ended with the release of nearly 300 Allied PoWs. He was still flying with 220 Squadron on 15th April 1940 when Hudson N7289 that was shot down on an operational patrol. He was twenty three years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Anson K8825 was built to contract 497339/36 by A.V. Roe Ltd at Woodford and was delivered to 224 Squadron at Thornaby on 10th July 1937, it moved with unit to Eastleigh on 17th January 1938 and then back to Thornaby on 26th March 1938. It returned to A.V.Roe Ltd at Woodford for modifications on 5th August 1938. In the meantime 224 Squadron had moved to Leuchars so when the aircraft was returned to it's unit on 2nd September 1938 it was flown to Leuchars. It then transferred to 220 Squadron at Bircham Newton on 27th June 1939 and coded "NR-Z". It then moved with unit to Thornaby on 21st August 1939 and on 16th September landed at Redcar but was not damaged. four days later it suffered Cat.M/FA damage in an accident at Thornaby but was only slightly damaged and repaired on site and returned to 220 Squadron. It later transferred to the School of General Recconnaissance at Thorney Island on 14th November 1939 and then again moved with this unit to Guernsey on 26th April 1940 to assist with the evacuation. The Unit moved to Hooton Park on 19th June 1940 and was renamed No.1 School of General Recconnaissance (S of GR). It was written off in July 1940 as destroyed on the ground on Guernsey during evacuation on 5th July 1940 but may have been left there as it was unservicable and was left to its fate only to be written off some weeks later as the paperwork went through.