Tiger Moth BB805 at Yeadon airfield.
On 21st August 1941 the trainee pilot of this 20 E.F.T.S. aircraft made a poor landing at Yeadon and damaged the airscrew and wings. The aircraft just
been repaired following a mishap in May 1941.
Pilot - LAC J M V DeVine RAFVR (1382959).
The pilot was probably a James Montague V DeVine. His birth was registered in Newton Abbot, Devon in 1920, he probably married in Surrey in
1942 and died in Exeter in 1993. Nothing more is known about his RAF career.
This aircraft was built by The De Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd. at their Hatfield factory and was first registered as G-ADWM on 9th December
1935 to Scottish Aviation Ltd. on the civilian register and based at Prestwick. From 17th February 1936 it was flown by Scottish Aviation Ltd. which
operated under the guise of 12 E&RFTS. On 3rd September 1939 the unit its name changed to 12 EFTS and on 12th October 1940 it was officially impressed
into RAF service and given the serial BB805 and remained at 12 EFTS. On 31st March 1941 it was transferred to 20 EFTS at Yeadon and on 18th May 1941
sustained Cat.A(c)/FA damage as a result of the minor mishap. It was then repaired on site and returned to the unit on to suffer further damage on 21st
August 1941 at Yeadon, with Cat.A/FA damage again recorded. Again, it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 31st January 1942 it was delivered
by road to 39 MU at Colerne but with Cat.B. damage and the aircraft was placed into storage (there is no indication for the reason for damage.) In August 1942
it was transported to Lundy & Atlantic Coast Airlines Ltd. at Barnstaple for repair to be carried out. On 6th September 1942 it was flown to 5 MU at Kemble for
storage. On 24th July 1943 it was transferred to R.N.D.A. but remained in storagee at Kemble until 2nd August 1943 it was taken on charge by RNAS Lee on Solent
where it served until 25th February 1944 when it was flown to Lundy & Atlantic Coast Airlines Ltd. at Barnstple for a major inspection. The aircraft was then
taken on charge by RNAS Yeovilton on 18th March 1944 and the last any record of it was in August 1945 at RNAS Eastleigh. From this date nothing more is known.