Battle P2253 near Sigglesthorne.
During the morning of 16th January 1940 this aircraft was being flown from Finningley to Catfoss airfield and was nearing the destination but was flying in a snowstorm. The Battle was used by No.5 Group for target towing duties, in the training of air gunners in No.5 Group. The aircraft began to freeze up and in poor visibility the pilot was unable to reach Catfoss so made a forced landing in a field near Exhibition Farm, Sigglesthorpe at just before 10.25hrs. The aircraft received a damaged port flap, a bent propeller and a wing tip was broken as well as both main undercarriage legs being buckled when they collapsed after it ran into furrows in the field. The three airmen in the aircraft all escaped injury and were met by P.C.Boyes of Seaton police who initially provided a guard on the aircraft while the crew were taken to Catfoss.
The East Riding Archives, in Beverley hold a Police report on this incident under their reference "POL/3/3/8/1" from which this webpage is partly drawn from.
Pilot - P/O Richard Sidney Albion Churchill RAF (41255).
Observer? - P/O W "Malloy".
Passenger? - AC William Napier.
Richard Churchill received a commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 29th October 1938 and was graded as P/O on 29th August 1939. By September 1940 he was serving with 144 Squadron, who were also part of No.5 Group RAF. On the night of 2nd / 3rd September 1940 he was the pilot of Hampden P4370 undertaking Ops to Ludwigshaven when the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter and two of the crew were killed in the attack. The aircraft crashed in Holland and he and P/O I C Kirk survived and became prisoners of war. He received promtions to the ranks of F/O (War Subs) on 3rd September 1940, F/Lt on 3rd September 1941 and to S/Ldr (temp) on 1st January 1946 (with seniority of 1st July 1944). While a PoW he was held at the Sagan camp made famous for the Great Escape in March 1944 and he infact took part in the Great Escape and was one of a who survived when captured. Most were executed. As of April 2016 when I last updated this webpage he is the final surviving person who was part of the Great Escape.
There doesn't appear to be any W.Malloy's serving in the RAF during 1940, either his name was incorrectly spelt on the police report of perhaps he was a Commonwealth airman.
Battle P2253 was built to contract 768880/38 by Fairey Aviation Ltd at Stockport and was delivered to 226 Squadron at Harwell on 7th August 1939. The unit moved to Reims, France on
2nd September 1930 but P2253 appears to have been left behind. It next appears on charge with Catfoss Station Flight on 30th September 1939 and was used for target towing
duties. On paper it was transferred to 106 Squadron at Finningley but almost certainly this aircraft never left Catfoss as by November 1939 it was on charge with 5 Group Target Towing
Flight (TTF) which had been formed at Finningley in October 1939 and the aircraft was permanently detached at Catfoss for target towing use on the ranges at Skipsea and Cowden. It
sustained Cat.R/FA as stated above and was dismantled and transported to Rollason Aircraft Services Ltd, at Croydon for repair. The repair appears to be beyond their capabilities and
the eventually the aircraft was transported to Fairey Aviation Ltd at Stockport on 26th August 1940. Here it was assessed and Re-Cat.W and struck off charge on 26th September 1940.