Defiant N1653 in the region of Selby Common.
At 03.20hrs on 19th May 1941 this 54 O.T.U. aircraft crashed on or close to Selby Common after the pilot lost control soon after taking off from Church Fenton airfield.
It was thought that the pilot had become disorientated after taking off and the aircraft dived into the ground. The location given in the pilot's casualty file states that it occurred around four miles south-west of the airfield. This puts it roughly in an area named Selby Common around a mile north of Thorpe Willoughby. Air historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast located fragments of a Blenheim in this area which would almost certainly relate to Blenheim N1653.
Pilot - Sgt Harold Albert Rodney McBirney RAFVR (1251122), aged 20, of Dublin, Irish Replubic. Buried Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin.
Defiant N1653 was built to contract 751807/38 by Boulton & Paul Ltd. at Wolverhampton and was awaiting collection in August 1940. It was taken on charge by
264 Squadron in September 1940 and based at Kirton in Lindsey as a replacement for aircraft lost on the disastrous day of 28th August 1940. On or around 25th
November 1940 it passed into the hands of the newly formed 54 OTU at Church Fenton. As a result of the damage sustained on 19th May 1941 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage
was recorded on the paperwork.