Hurricane P3309 near Bramham.
On 10th July 1941 this aircraft was in the process of being ferried from 121 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsey to join 59 Operational Training Unit at Crosby on Eden, near Carlisle. Given where this forced landing was eventually made the route was probably planned to take the pilot roughly north-west into Yorkshire with the pilot navigating using the rail and road network up to Catterick and then west over the Pennines. If this was the case then following the Great North Road (the A.1) was common practice. While flying across the area between Leeds and Tadcaster the engine overheated and glycol fumes entered the cockpit. The accident records put the aircraft as making a belly landing near Thorner at 17.00hrs but a more accurate location of near Occupation Lane has been found. Occupation Lane is actually some miles east of Thorner and much nearer Bramham. He received minor head injuries. It was found that the glycol tank had burst in flight which had caused the engine to overheat. The crash location would be near the modern A1(M) / A64 road interchange.
Pilot - Sgt Marian Benedykt Bogdan Stalinski PAF (P.784474). Minor head injuries.
Sgt Marian Stalinski had earlier served with 607 Squadron and had flown with 315 Squadron as late as 4th July 1941. 315 Squadron were based at Speke at the time but moved to Northolt a week later. He does not appear to have gone with the squadron so may have been posted out of 315 Squadron either to 59 O.T.U. or to a ferrying unit. He is not recorded in the 59 OTU record book as having been posted there. He was later to be killed on 23rd November 1941 flying with 315 Squadron when Spitfire AB937 was shot down by flak near the French coast. He is buried in Dunkirk Town Cemetery and was twenty seven years old.
Hurricane P3309 had a long service history, researched by Graham Sharpe. It was built to contract 962371/38 by Gloster Aircraft Ltd. at Brockworth and was allocated to 20 MU at Aston Down on 27th January 1940 and was delivered there on 13th March 1940. On 16th April 1940 it was taken on charge by 151 Squadron at North Weald but the unit at the time were detached to Martlesham Heath, they transferred to Martlesham Heath on 13th May 1940. The squadron then moved to Manston on 17th May 1940, Vitry-en-Artois, France the following day and then to North Weald on 20th May 1940. On 9th July 1940 it sustained Cat.M/FB damage when it was hit by a 20mm cannon shell in the cockpit during action with Bf 109's and Bf 110's, the pilot suffered facial injuries but was able to fly the aircraft to North Weald. It was repaired on site and on 29th August 1940 it was moved with the unit to Stapleford Tawney and then to Digby on 1st September 1940. On 17th September 1940 it was transferred to 46 Squadron at Stapleford Tawney. It moved to Digby with this unit on 8th November 1940, to Church Fenton on 28th February 1941 and to Sherburn in Elmet on 1st March 1941. It was transferred to 121 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsey on 15th May 1941. Although the history does not record it was about to be taken on charge by 59 Operational Training Unit on 10th July 1941 this was about to happen but it crashed on the flight to join them so they didn't accept it. As a result of the damage sustained on 10th July 1941 minor Cat.B/FA resulted, on 16th July 1941 it was dismantled and transported by road for repair in works at Helliwell's Ltd., at Walsall airfield. At this point it is believed to have been converted to Mk.IIB status. On 14th February 1942 it was passed to RAAA (ATA) and the following day was flown to 18 MU at Wroughton. On 8th April 1942 it was allocated to 253 Squadron at Friston and two days later was delivered to them. On 29th May 1942 it was transferred to 56 Squadron at Snailwell and moved to Matlask on 24th August 1942 with that unit. On 13th November 1942 it sustained unspecified Cat.B but appears to have been in a flyable state as there was note stating it was flown for repair on 18th November 1942 to Morrison's Engineering Company Ltd. at Croydon. On 28th January 1943 it was awaiting collection after repair. On 3rd February 1943 it was delivered to 48 MU at Hawarden and on 3rd March 1943 it was taken on charge by 56 OTU at Tealing. On 5th October 1943 this unit was re-designated No.1 C.T.W. (Combat Training Wing). On 1st January 1944 the unit was again re-designated as No.1 T.E.U. (Tactical Exercise Unit). On 11th March 1944 it was transferred to 2 T.E.U. at Grangemouth but was struck off charge on 17th July 1944 as being Cat.E but was almost certainly a time expired airframe rather than a crash-damaged aircraft).