Defiant N1556 at Church Fenton airfield (or Bramham?).
On 29th May 1941 this 54 OTU aircraft collided with Blenheim L8377 at 01.25hrs while both aircraft were in the Church Fenton airfield circuit. Both aircraft
crashed and both trainee pilots were killed. An air-raid warning was said to have been in place at Church Fenton at the time and usually this meant all
the airfield's lighting was switched off and both aircraft were flying without lighting. Both pilots were given instructions to orbit different locations
at different heights to avoid such an accident but it is not known why one was at the same height as the other. A map reference in the Squadron records
suggests this incident occurred over Rakes Wood, Bramham.
Pilot - Sgt David Alexander Heggie RAF (1053585), aged 26, of Edinburgh, Scotland. Buried Kirkby Wharfe Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Sgt Heggie and his gravestone at Kirkby Wharfe. He was born in Decemeber 1915 and attended Cranley School and George Watson's College, Edinburgh.
Prior to joining the RAF he was working for Messrs. Heggie and Aitchison Ltd. The carpentry firm is still in existance in Edinburgh.
Defiant N1556 was built to contract 751807/38 by Boulton & Paul Ltd. at Wolverhampton and was awaiting collection in June 1940. It was taken on
charge around 29th August 1940 by 264 Squadron based at Kirton in Lindsey after the unit had suffered catastrophic losses the previous day whilst based
at Rochford. The squadron moved back to Rochford on 29th October 1940 and then to Debden on 27th November 1940. In December 1940 it was transferred to
54 OTU at Church Fenton. As a result of the collission on 29th May 1941 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was recorded.