Lysander T1550 near Birstwith, Harrogate.
On 3rd April 1941 the pilot of this 309 Squadron aircraft was flying a long distance flight and had encountered poor weather and visibility for the stage over the Pennines.
He later became lost after flying in cloud for a long period of time and when the aircraft ran low on fuel he force landed it in small field. He overshot his
landing at 16.45hrs and struck a stone wall near Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, to the west of Harrogate. The aircraft was slightly damaged but the pilot escaped injury.
In March 1941 a number of 309 Squadron Lysanders were flown to Doncaster to get their guns modified, it could be that this aircraft was one of the last
to get modified and was being flown back to the unit when the mishap occurred. During the days around the end of March 1941 309 Squadron moved
from Renfrew on detachment to Perth (Scone), it could be that this aircraft force landed en-route there. Research is ongoing.
Pilot - P/O Bronislaw Baster PAF (P/0538). Uninjured.
It is likely that the pilot was one Bronislaw Baster who later re-trained as a pilot of bomber aircraft, he was sadly killed flying 305 Squadron
Wellington HF492 on 25th May 1943 which crashed near Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. He is buried in Newark Cemetery, Nottinghamshire and was thirty years old.
Lysander T1550 was built to contract 23637/39 by the Westland Aircraft Co. Ltd. at Yeovil and was awaiting collection in October 1940. It was taken
on charge by 309 Squadron at Renfrew in December 1940. Following the mishap near Harrogate in April 1941 Cat.B/FA damage was recorded, from the field it was
dismantled and transported by road to Airwork General Trading Co. Ltd. at Renfrew, for repair. After a period of MU storage it was taken on charge by 2 AGS
at Dalcross in late 1941 and crashed on Culloden Moor near Inverness on 18th August 1942 with Cat.E2/FA damage being recorded.