Lysander P1733 near Wigginton.
On 28th June 1940 the crew of this 4 Squadron aircraft were undertaking a dusk patrol of the North Sea off the Yorkshire Coast. While returning to base at Linton on Ouse they darkness became a problem and they became lost, the pilot tried to force land the aircraft in a field near Wigginton but struck high tension cables and crashed soon afterwards at 22.45hrs. The aircraft sustained damage in the field near Broad Oak Farm but this was deemed repairable and it was taken away for repair. There is a suggestion that this landing may have been made on or near the Plainville relief landing ground, between Huby and Wigginton.
Pilot - P/O Alexander Boyd Corbett RAF (41666).
Air Gunner - Sgt Whitley.
Lysander P1733 was built to contract 611814/37 by Westland Aircraft Co Ltd. at Yeovil and was delivered into RAF MU storage in December 1939. After acceptance it was issued to 4 Squadron at Ringway in 1940 probably as a replacement for the unit after they lost aircraft in the Battle of France, it arrived at Ringway towards
the end of May 1940. The aircraft moved with unit to Linton-on-Ouse on 8th June 1940 and sustained Cat.R/FA damage in the incident detailed above on 28th June 1940. It dismantled on site and returned to works for repair. On an unknown date in 1941 it was issued to 8 AACU at Gosport. Later in 1941 it was transferred to 12 Gp.AAC Flt at Digby and then to 288 Squadron which formed from 12 Gp.AAC Flt at Digby on 18th November 1941. It was transferred to 51 OTU at Cranfield in March 1942 as a Hack aircraft, then onto 1495 TT Flt in August 1942 at Sawbridgeworth. It finally ended it's days at 2 AAPC at Langham and was finally struck off charge on 12th January 1944.
Alexander Corbett had gained his Wings a year prior to this accident and had notched up at total of 293 hours flying time when the incident occured. He received a commission
on 4th March 1939 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation. He was graded as P/O on probabtion on 30th September 1939 and was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 28th December 1939.
No.4 Squadron's ORB appendix is held in the National Archives and it detailed their move from England to France in October 1939, P/O Corbett is not on the list of the officers
on strength when they made the move but he was with them in January 1940. He later served as their Orderly Officer in March 1940 and evacuated with 4 Squadron back to England
in May 1940 probably flying one of the Lysanders back over The Channel. He transferred to the PRU soon after this incident recorded above. On 14th / 15th August 1940 he was
tasked with flying Spitfire N3116 on a photo-reccaissance flight of the Ruhr area of Germany, his aircraft failed to return to base and he was made a PoW. He was promoted to
F/O on 30th September 1940 while in captivity. He later relinquished his commission in the RAF in November 1944 and transferred to the RCAF. After the War he returned home to
Canada and worked for many years for the Ford Motor Company. He died on 7th March 2005, aged 88.