On 16th January 1940 this 242 Squadron Hurricane was being ferried from Ternhill to Church Fenton and 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 around four miles south east of Wakefield,
with the undercarriage retracted.
Pilot - P/O Robert Davidson Grassick RAF (41579).
The events leading up to this landing are noted in the 242 Squadron ORB. On 5th January 1940 242 Squadron's Commanding Officer plus five 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 lasted 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 while F/Lt Sullivan force landed near Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. The following day the 242 Squadron ORB states that the remaining Hurricane was ferried from Ringway to Church Fenton by P/O Grassick. The Squadron ORB makes a mention of the snowfall being one of the heaviest in memory around this time.
Robert "Bob" Grassick was born in London, Ontario, Canada in May 1917. He received a commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation on 14th January 1939
and served with 242 Squadron from its formation in November 1939 until September 1941 though served with 607 Squadron and 615 Squadron on attachment in May 1940. He scored his
first of many enemy aircraft as shot down on 15th May 1940. He was injured in a motorcycle accident in August 1940 and did not see active service for some months while he recovered.
He awarded the DFC for service with 242 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th July 1941, the citation reads.. "This officer has been a member of the squadron since its formation. He has displayed
an indomitable spirit and has proved himself to be a first-class section leader. Flight Lieutenant Grassick has destroyed at least six enemy aircraft." He later served in
the Middle East, serving with 260 Squadron before becoming a test pilot. He served with 216 Squadron in 1945 and transferred to the RCAF in May 1945 but left the
service in 1946. He died in 1978.
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