Tiger Moth N9180 at Yeadon airfield.
On 17th September 1941 the pilot of this 20 E.F.T.S. aircraft made a heavy landing at Yeadon and the undercarriage was slightly damaged.
Pilot - LAC Hugh Joseph Keenan RAFVR (1199304).
Hugh Joseph Keenan completed his training and was later awarded the
DFM before being commissioned on 12th September 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He was posted to 524 Squadron on an unknown
date and on 2nd October 1944 was reported missing while flying as second pilot in Wellington MF577 on an anti-shipping patrol off the Dutch
Coast. The aircraft failed to return to base and all the crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was thirty four years old and married.
"www.626-squadron.co.uk" shows a photograph and some other detailed information about him.
Tiger Moth N9180 was built to contract 778402/38 by The De Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd. at Hatfield and was awaiting collection
in August 1939. It was taken on charge by 12 EFTS at Prestwick on an unknown date but probably soon after the outbreak of war. 12
EFTS disbanded on 22nd March 1941 and the aircraft passed into the hands of 20 EFTS at Yeadon, as a result of the landing accident
on 17th September 1941 Cat.A/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was repaired on site. 20 EFTS disbanded on 9th January 1942 so
the aircraft passed into the hands of 4 EFTS at Brough but shortly after this it was transferred to 6 FIS at Staverton then moved with
the unit to Worcester on 18th April 1942. On 22nd July 1942 6 FIS was re-designated 2 EFTS where the aircraft remained and was still
based at Worcester, here it remained until being placed in long term MU storage at the end of the war. On 16th October 1946 it was
sold to the civil market and registered as G-AIVZ on 14th November 1946 to Nottingham Flying Club at Tollerton. This registration was
cancelled on 15th January 1947 before being registered to T.Shipside Ltd. also at Tollerton on 18th January 1947, the registration was
cancelled again on 19th November 1951 but it remained at Tollerton being registered on 1st March 1952 to N.K.Field & L.M.Cooper of the
Eagle Flying Club. The registration was cancelled again on 28th July 1952 and later the aircraft was purchased and registered to
Aerocontacts Ltd. at Gatwick on 15th September 1952, it was cancelled again on 10th March 1953 to be sold abroad. It was transported
by ship to New Zealand and registered ZK-BCN to the Gisborne Aero Club in 1953. On 8th December 1957 it was registered to ex-WW2 FAA
pilot Roger Foxley, who on this date took off with a friend on a pleasure flight to Talaga Bay and back but the return at 10.30hrs at
between 800-1000ft the engine failed. The pilot ditched the aircraft one mile from the Pakarae River mouth, 15 miles North of Gisborne
and the aircraft sank within five minutes. Both men tried to swim ashore but in a heavy swell contact was lost and only the passenger
made it ashore. The pilot died and the aircraft was not salvaged.