Blenheim L1478 at Church Fenton airfield, damaged by enemy action.
In the minutes around midnight on 24th / 25th April 1941 at least one enemy aircraft was operating around the Tadcaster area, two 54 Operational Training Unit Blenheims were attacked while flying near
base at 23.45hrs and were written off after landing on Church Fenton airfield. The Church Fenton station ORB states that two other aircraft were damaged on the ground when the
enemy aircraft dropped bombs at 00.08hrs on the airfield, three others were also slightly damaged on the ground by the bombing. L1478 was one of the aircraft that was damaged on the
ground. The pilot listed below is credited as being in this aircraft.
Pilot - Sgt Arthur Lelsie Mervyn Spurgin RAAF (404120), of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Leslie Spurgin was born in November 1915, he enlisted into the RAAF in May 1940 and prior to this worked as a tobacconist salesman for seven years. He enlisted into the RAAF in May 1940 and after a period of basic training in Canada was posted to the UK in February 1941. He arrived at 54 OTU at Church Fenton on 3rd March 1941 where he stayed until a posted to 68 Squadron on 6th May 1941 at High Ercall. He was commissioned on 27th July 1941 and transferred to the RAF. He was posted out to Algiers in November 1941 and joined the Middle East Command which posted him to 89 Squadron on 26th November 1941 where he flew for some period of time and saw action flying Beaufighters. He was credited with shooting down at least five enemy aircraft. He was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 12th February 1943. Here details are rather vague, he spent a period of time in hospital and there after did not appear to fly as a pilot operationally again in the Europe/Africa theatres. He seems to have taken a posting back home and as F/Lt he was posted back to the UK, via South Africa in August 1943 and soon after back to Australia, via San Francisco in June 1944. He undertook some OTU training in Australia and in November 1944 was posted to 87(PR) Squadron where he flew Mosquito's and Catalina's until mid-1945. He was discharged in October 1945 and his discharge papers refer to a disability picked up while he was in RAF service, probably relating to his hospitalisation in North Africa. Nothing more is known.
Blenheim L1478 was built to contract 527114/36 as a fighter version by The Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd. at Filton and was awaiting collection in January
1939 and taken on charge by 64 Squadron at Church Fenton soon after. In April 1940 64 Squadron ceased operating Blenheim MkIf's and the aircraft was transferred
to 5 OTU at Aston Down, on 1st November 1940 5 OTU;s Blenheims transferred to the newly formed 54 OTU at Church Fenton. The aircraft sustained minor damage in
the enemy action recorded above in April 1941 and Cat.A/FB damage was recorded, it was repaired on site and on completion of the repair it was transferred to the
newly formed 60 OTU at Leconfield before the end of 1941. On 4th June 1941 it moved with the unit to East Fortune but on 16th June 1941 it was placed into MU storage,
probably at East Fortune when 60 OTU ceased twin engine training. In October 1941 it was taken on charge by 60 OTU at East Fortune when the unit re-commenced twin
engine training, this unit disbanded on 24th November 1942 and the aircraft was placed into MU storage again. In December 1942 it was converted into ground
instruction airframe 3484M and after this no further trace of it has been found.