On 14th November 1941 this No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit aircraft struck an air-raid shelter at Thornaby airfield when the pilot was attempting an emergency landing after the aircraft developed engine trouble in the circuit. One airman was sadly killed while three others were injured.
Pilot - Sgt Burnett Keith Henderson RAFVR (776130). Slightly injured.
Second Pilot / Observer - Sgt Stephen Gerald Du-Plooy RAFVR (446035). Uninjured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Horace Archer RAFVR (1354346), aged 21. Cremated Carleton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Blackpool, Lancashire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Ashton RAFVR (1354716). Slightly injured.
Hudson N7318 was built to contract 791587/38 by The Lockheed Aircraft Corporation at Burbank, California and was shipped to the UK arriving at the Lockheed Assembly Division, UK Ltd. in September 1939. After assembly, testing and acceptance it went to 10 MU on 27th September 1939 where it was stored until being taken on charge by 206 Squadron on 31st May 1940. The aircraft appears to have been used to rescue the Commander in Chief of Free Polish Forces, General Wladyslaw Sikorski and his staff from Bordeaux, France, in June 1940. The photograph above (found on Facebook) shows the crew involved in the rescue of General Sikorski. N7318 may have been slightly damaged in a landing accident at Docking on 10th August 1940 which saw it repaired but this does not feature on the aircraft's AM Form 78 so was very minor. On 19th July 1941 No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit was reformed at Thornaby and the aircraft was taken on charge by them a few days later on 24th July 1941. As a result of the mishap at Thornaby on 14th November 1941 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 20th November 1941.
Stephen Du-Plooy received a commission (128959) on 3rd August 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation. He was a South African national serving in the RAFVR and after 6 (c)OTU he was posted to 59 Squadron in Coastal Command. In March 1943 he was awarded the DFC with the citation stating.. "Since joining this squadron P/O Du-Plooy has taken part in numerous anti-shipping patrols, always displaying exceptional keenness. He also participated in the "1,000 Bomber" raid on Bremen, spending 40 minutes over the target area to ensure accurate bombing, despite considerable opposition from anti-aircraft fire and night lighters. During July 1942, he completed four attacks on enemy convoys off the Dutch coast sinking one large-sized vessel. On other occasions he has made long and perilous sorties, often in very poor weather." He resigned his commission in the RAF as F/Lt on 3rd June 1946.