On 16th January 1940 this 242 Squadron Hurricane was being ferried from Ternhill to Church Fenton where it was to be taken on charge by 242 Squadron who were re-equipping with Hurricanes at the time. Bad weather effected flying as they approached Yorkshire and the pilot of this aircraft made a forced landing near Wath Upon Dearne probably wheels down, but crashed while attempting to avoid a mound of earth.
Pilot - P/O Percival Stanley Turner RAF (41631).
The events leading up to this landing are noted in the 242 Squadron records. On 5th January 1940 242 Squadron's Commanding Officer plus officers went to St Athan by
train to collect six Hurricanes that were to be transferred to their care and these were due to be their first six Hurricanes. The weather after their arrival at
St.Athan was bad and they then appear to have remained there until 10th January 1940 when the forecast suggested an improvement in the conditions so they proceeded to Ternhill
and collected the six Hurricanes. On 10th January 1940 the six aircraft left Ternhill and were flown up the country, possibly in two groups of three aircraft. All pilots
encountered poor weather and later blamed bad weather forecasting. Three of the aircraft made it to the Manchester area; F/O Richard Coe RAF (39273) was killed in a force
landing at Appleton, near Warrington. S/Ldr Fowler Morgan Gobeil RCAF (C/121) landed at Culcheth, near Padgate but turned over on landing run and P/O Robert Davidson Grassick
RAF (41579) landed safely at Ringway aerodrome. What was probably the second group of three aircraft were flying later than these first three and F/Lt John Lewis Sullivan RAF
(37643), F/O John William Graafstra RAF (37381) and P/O Percival Stanley Turner RAF (41631) all returned to Ternhill. The poor weather lastest until 16th January 1940,
on this date Sullivan, Turner and Grassick left Ternhill for Church Fenton but they flew into a very bad cold front near Castleford, Yorkshire. P/O Grassick force landed
near Wakefield. P/O Turner force landed near Finningley (Wath Upon Dearne is stated on the AM Form 1180) while F/Lt Sullivan force landed near Hucknall, Nottinghamshire (Melbourne is stated on the AM Form 1180). The following day the 242 Squadron ORB states that the remaining Hurricane was ferried from Ringway to Church Fenton by P/O Grassick.
Stan Turner was born in Devon, England in 1913 but moved to Canada at a young age, he studied at Toronto University prior to enlisting for RAF service. After
training he initially served with 219 Squadron in 1939 but switched to 242 Squadron just after it formed in November 1939. He served on attachment in France with
607 and 615 Squadron in May 1940 before returning to his parent unit. He served with 242 Squadron through the Battle of Britain and was awarded the DFC, Gazetted
on 8th October 1940. He was later awarded the Bar to the DFC for service with 145 Squadron, Gazetted on 145 Squadron then commanded 411 RCAF Squadron, 249 Squadron and
417 Squadron. He was awarded the DSO, Gazetted on 23rd May 1944 and having risen to (Acting) Group Captain he later commanded 127 RCAF Wing. Post war he remained in the RCAF
until 1965 and died in 1985. He holds the record for the most combat hours for any Canadian pilot. His life is very well documented and he even has his own Wikipedia page.
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