Hudson N7293 damaged by enemy aircraft, landed at Thornaby airfield.

Durin the afternoon of 29th January 1940 this 220 Squadron Hudson undertook an operational patrol, almost certainly in protection of convoys that were sailing in the North Sea. The aircraft took off from Thornaby at 12.10hrs and while patrolling in an area roughly between the mouth of the River Tyne and Denmark it was attacked by an Me110. The Hudson's gunner returned fire and believed to have damaged the enemy aircraft in the port engine. The Me110 scored damage on the Hudson with the flaps, fuselage, port propeller and a tyre being damaged. The Me110 was seen to enter a dive but then pull out but because of scattered cloud around where the aircraft met each other the Me110 was lost to sight and not seen again. The crew of the Hudson weer able to effect a landing at 15.50hrs, believed to have been at Thornaby airfield. The second pilot (/Navigator) also had his pencil shot out of his hand in the attack.

On 4th February 1940 a reference to a Hudson appears in 60 MU's ORB and states that on "4th February 1940. Hudson N7293 inspected at Thornaby." One presumes it suffered an accident on or just before this date. I strongly suspect that the battle damage to "NR-D" on 29th January 1940 and the inspection at Thornaby on 4th January to Hudson N7293 relate to the one aircraft and incident.

Pilot - Sgt Alfred Charles Culver RAF (580001).

Second Pilot - Sgt Kenneth Frederick Scotney RAF (580072).

Wireless Operator - Cpl Norman Richard Drury RAF (537272).

Air Gunner - LAC Creegan.

Both Alfred Culver and Kenneth Scotney were awarded the DFM for service with 220 Squadron for their actions on 6th December 1939, Gazetted on 20th February 1940.

F/Lt Culver was killed on 2nd September 1942 while serving with 269 Squadron, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Norman Drury was killed in the crash of Hudson N7294 on 11th February 1940 near Great Ayton.
Hudson N7293 was built to contract 791587/38 by Lockheed Aircraft Co. at Burbank, California. It was shipped to the UK and after assembly and flight testing it was issued to 220 Squadron based at Thornaby on 1st September 1939. The incident recorded above on 29th January 1940 does not feature on the aircraft's AM Form 78 but the damage must have been Cat.R/FA, and the date for this was not recorded but perhaps right to assume it was on 29th January 1940. The damage would have been repaired on site at Thornaby. The aircraft was transferred to 206 Squadron at Bircham Newton on 22nd September 1940. It was then transferred to No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit at Thornaby on 24th July 1941 just after the unit reformed. In September 1942 it received an inspection by Cunliffe Owen which then saw it taken for a repair in works. It was later issued to RAE Farnborourgh for test work on 1st December 1942. It existed until being struck off charge on 7th November 1946 though may have been in store for some time prior to this date.

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