A 608 Squadron Botha at Thornaby.
At 09.30hrs on 24th August 1940 this 608 Squadron aircraft made a forced belly-landing near Ormesby sewerage works after the engine cut out soon after taking off from Thornaby airfield for a convoy patrol. It struck a hedge before running into a ditch. Records stated that four crew were on board and three were injured with the most seriously injured being the pilot who injured his spine. The aircraft sustained major damage and it was not repaired.
Botha L6209 was built to contract 563935/36 by Blackburn's at the Dumbarton factory. It was received by 19 MU on 22nd July 1940 and was then taken on charge by 608 Squadron at Thornaby on 8th August 1940. On 24th August 1940 Cat.W/FA damage was recorded following assessment after this accident and it was struck off charge on 4th September 1940.
Pilot - P/O Denys Hilary Farrand Horner RAF (42567). Injured.
Second Pilot - P/O George St.Clair Boyd Reid RAF (41465). Injured.
Wireless Operator - Sgt John Graham Mitchell RAFVR (808420). Injured.
Air Gunner - AC2 Wallace Bagnall RAFVR (808402). Uninjured.
John Mitchell received a commission in July 1941.
Denys Horner was born in Nottingham in 1915. He received a Commission to Acting P/O on probation on 19th August 1939. He was graded as P/O on probation on 24th February 1940
and graded as P/O on 12th June 1940. He was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 24th February 1941 and F/Lt (war subs) exactly a year later. He was later posted to 203 Squadron and as
F/Lt he was awarded the DFC in mid-1942. The citation reads.. "F/Lt Horner has completed 92 sorties, including many long and arduous flights by day and by night. This has been done despite the fact that, owing to an injured spine, he cannot sit still for longer than two hours. A number of pilots have been assigned to him to act as second pilots when the strain of flying became too great. F/Lt Horner is the most experienced and skilful pilot in the squadron." He survived the War and remained in the RAF post-war and was appointed
to a commission of S/Ldr on 27th August 1948. He retired as S/Ldr on 18th September 1958. He died in the New Forest area of Hampshire in 1999.
George Reid was killed flying with 91 Squadron on 28th October 1944 when Spitfire MK453 crashed in Belgium. It was not until 1996 that the twenty six year old's body was found during an excavation of the crashed aircraft with the belief that it was a different aircraft the team were digging. His body was identified and he is now buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Belgium.
Wallace Bagnall received a commission in 1943.