Blenheim L1289 at Catterick airfield.
On the night of 18th / 19th November 1940 this aircraft overshot a night landing at Catterick airfield following a night flying exercise
and was slightly damaged. The pilot was the Cammanding Officer of 600 Squadron at the time but is believed to have escaped injury. The 600
Squadron ORB mentions the flights made on this date but does not list any damage, Sgt St.James-Smith is listed as being on board on one of the flights
he made over the night of 18th / 19th November 1940.
Pilot - S/Ldr Hugh Lockhart Maxwell RAF (25046).
Air Gunner - (Possibly) Sgt Ronald Godfrey St.James Smith RAF (551203).
Possibly one other - Name unknown.
Ronald St.James-Smith had an eventful 1940. Flying with 18 Squadron on 30th April 1940 he was flying over Belgium in Blenheim L8875 when the compass
failed in a storm and his then pilot force landed the aircraft. He was interned in Belgium and only released when the German invasion came. He returned to
18 Squadron in mid-May 1940 and on what must have been one of his first operational flights sindce internment, flying in Blenheim L8863 his pilot
Sgt A W S Thomas sustained a serious neck injury when a bullet from ground fire passed through his neck. Despite the injury he force landed the
aircraft though died of his injuries later. In September 1940 he was posted to 600 Squadron but was soon posted back to 18 Squadron. He was killed on 13th April
1941 flying in Blenheim L9247 shot down on an anti-shipping patrol. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Hugh Maxwell was born in December 1908 in Guildford, Surrey and had served in the Army with the Northamptonshire Regiment in the early 1930's but
transferred to the RAF in 1935. After training as a pilot he joined 26 Squadron at Catterick on 27th April 1936. He later served with an unknown Bomber
Command unit before being posted to command 600 Squadron at Catterick in September 1940. This incident must have been pretty much on his last day with
600 Squadron as on 22nd November 1940 he was awarded the DSO but he was with 18 Squadron and possibly acting as controller of 13 Group HQ in Newcastle
at the time. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1941 and again on 11th June 1942. He later served as Station Commander at Hornchurch and
Biggin Hill from 1943 to 1945. He was awarded the CBE in the New Years Honours of 1945 and retired from the RAF in June 1956 as Group Captain but
retaining the rank of Air Commodore. He died in Nottingham in 1974.
Blenheim L1289 was built to contract 527114/36 by The Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd. at Filton as a MkI and was awaiting collection in August 1938.
Later that month it was taken on charge by 107 Squadron at Harwell (a light bomber squadron) before being converted to MkIf status on an unknown date.
In May 1940 it was taken on charge by 600 Squadron at Northolt as a replacement for losses suffered on 10th May 1940 when 600 Squadron lost six
Blenheims to enemy action. On 20th June 1940 it moved with the unit to Manston and on 22nd August 1940 again to Hornchurch, then on 12th September
1940 to Redhill and on 12th October 1940 to Catterick. It sustained Cat.M/FA in the incident briefly recorded above and was later repaired on site.
On 19th December 1940 on completion of the repair it was immediately transferred to 8 BATF at Wattisham. On an unknown date in 1941 it was
transferred to 13 OTU at Bicester. On 21st January 1942 it transferred to 1442 Flight also at Bicester to train pilots on overseas ferry duties in
Blenheims but on 1st August 1942 1442 Flight disbanded and aircraft transferred back to 13 OTU still at Bicester. Later that year it transferred
to 12 PAFU at Grantham. On 23rd December 1942 it sustained Cat.E2/FA Burnt damaged when it collided on take off at Harlaxton with Blenheim L8721.
It's then Turkish Air Force pilot was killed. It was not repaired and was struck off charge.