Unidentified Avro Rota near Driffield.
On 24th April 1941 this aircraft was being flown to Driffield from it's apparent base of Church Fenton but never got there, on paper No.73 (Sig) Wing
were based at Barkston Ash but they used Church Fenton to house their aircraft while in Yorkshire. The assumption is made that it was force-landed
en-route but no record has been found of the location. The aircraft was a form of early auto-gyro used in the calibration of radar equipment. Although
the identity is not known it may have been a Cierva C-30 which were effectively the same aircraft.
Pilot - Name unknown.
If the unit is correct in being 73 (Sig) Wing then it was formed out of No.4 Radio Service Section (RSS) on 17th February 1941 then
technically then only operated Blenheims and a Hornet Moth at the time. No.4 Radio Service Section had formed out of No.4 RMU on 21st
September 1940 and operated Blenheims, Hornet Moths and two Avro Rotas and their Avro Rotas appear to have passed to 74 (Sig) Wing based
at Duxford or at the Autogiro Training Flight at Odiham who held the full RAF stock between them after February 1941. From the published
histories of the aircraft two did serve with 4 RSS though their serial numbers were not known when this webpage was created.