Beaufighter T4650 near Ulrome.
On 1st November 1941 the pilot of this No.2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit aircraft was to undertake a formation flying training flight when the aircraft dived into the ground near Butt Lane, Ulrome soon after taking off from Catfoss airfield.
Pilot - Sgt John Parsons RCAF (R/59664), of Holland, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Brandesburton Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Passenger / Mechanic - AC2 Charles Thomas Blyth RAFVR (1017526), aged 28, of Hull, Yorkshire. Buried St.Mary's Church Cemetery, Beverley, Yorkshire.
Sgt Parsons gravestone in Brandesburton Churchyard. He was born on 8th September 1916 at Holland, Manitoba, Canada and was the son of Harry and Maria (nee Imrie) Parsons.
As a young man he worked in a general store in Holland until enlisting for RCAF service on 10th August 1940 in Winnipeg. After training in Canada he was awarded his pilot's wings on 3rd July 1941 and was then posted to the UK soon after. He was posted to 2 (C)OTU on 30th August 1941.
Charles Blyth was the son of Thomas and Gertrude Amelia Blyth of Hull and as a boy he attended Salthouse Lane School, Hull. He later worked for a confectionary company in Hull and joined the RAF in 1940. He had married a Beverley girl; Dora Dyson Blyth and they had lived in Beverley since 1938 living at "The Cash Stores", Grovehill Road, Beverley in 1941. His father Pte Thomas Blyth was killed on 14th July 1918 while serving in the Durham Light Infantry and is buried in Klein-Vierstraat British Cemetery, Belgium.
Air historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast with East Yorkshire aviation expert Rodney Robinson located small fragments on the surface at the crash site in December 2001 with permission from the landowner, confirming the crash location. The photograph above shows small fragments that were retained by Eric following the visit.
Beaufighter T4650 was built to contract B.41906/39 by the Fairey Aviation Co.Ltd at Heaton Chapel, Stockport and was awaiting collection in March 1941. After a preiod of M.U. storage it was taken on charge by 2 (C) O.T.U. at Catfoss after June 1941 when the unit began to receive Beaufighters. As a result of the crash on 1st November 1941 the damage assessment was Cat.E2/FA and the aircraft was struck off charge.
