Blenheim N6166 near Sutton on the Forest.
On 22nd December 1941 the crew of this 54 O.T.U. Blenheim were undertaking a searchlight homing exercise and having took off from Church Fenton the aircraft flew towards Linton on Ouse where the homing exercise was to be carried out. At 23.45hrs the aircraft flying in a fast and very shallow dive when it struck the top of a tree and then first touched the ground thirty yards after the tree and went through a hedge. It then bounced a hundred yards and then broke in two behind turret. The rear of the aircraft was left behind and the rest of the aircraft continued to somersault and break over with one of the engines being found 250 yards further on. Unfortunately the pilot died of his injuries in York Military Hospital at 08.05hrs the following morning but observer / wireless operator survived, albeit seriously injured. There was no indication that a forced landing was being made so it was assumed that the crew were trying to locate the homing searchlight at the time of the crash and simply flew into the ground. The accident occurred on land near Naffits Farm, between Wigginton and Sutton on the Forest. This incident occurred less than a mile from where East Moor airfield would be built a couple of years later.
Blenheim N6166 built to contract 774679/38 by The Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd at Filton but was converted during production from a MkI to MkIV. It was delivered to 107 Squadron at Wattisham on 11th May 1939 when the unit moved in from Harwell and at the same time converted from Blenheim MkI's to MkIV's. It was transferred to 35 Squadron at Cranfield in November 1939 and moved with the unit to Bassingbourn on 7th December 1939. On 7th March 1940 it transferred to 101 Squadron at West Raynham but shortly after it was passed to 110 Squadron at Wattisham. 110 Squadron sent a detachment to Lossiemouth in April 1940; this being one of the aircraft sent. It was transferred to 21 Squadron at Lossiemouth in June 1940 and sustained battle damage later the same month. Within the same month the aircraft was back on charge with 101 Squadron at West Raynham. On 12th June 1940 it was transferred to 18 Squadron also based at West Raynham. It moved again, this time to 15 Squadron at Wyton, leaving them in November 1940, moving to 18 Squadron at Great Massingham. In early 1941 it moved to 17 OTU at Upwood before finally joining 54 O.T.U. on an unknown date. After inspection following the accident at Sutton on the Forest Cat.E2/FA(Burnt) damage was recorded and it was written off.
Pilot - Sgt Leonard Henry Tickner RAFVR (950358), aged 26. Buried Worthing (Durrington) Cemetery, Sussex. Died 23/12/1941.
Observer / Wireless Operator - Sgt Stanley Harry Turner RAFVR (1216473). Seriously injured.
Leonard Tickner was born on 20th July 1916 at Eastbourne but appears to have firstly moved to the Birkenhead area by mid-1917 when his brother was born and then to Ruthin, Denbighshire by late 1919 when the first of two sisters were born. Searching the marriage index for their parents; Leonard Percival Tickner and Hettie Jones, their marriage was registered in Ruthin. His parents were living in Worthing in December 1941 which is where Sgt Tickner is buried, while he is commemorated on the Bodelwyddan War Memorial, Denbighshire, Wales. The photograph of him shown here was found on www.findagrave.com and posted by Cliff Carson. I thank Nikki Sheeran for kindly supplying the photograph of his gravestone shown here.
Stanley Turner was born on 14th August 1909 in Leicester. He was married by December 1941 with his wife living in Hull, Yorkshire. He died in early 1974 in the Sutton Coldfield area.