Tiger Moth T6612 near Weeton.
On 23rd November 1941 the two men on board this 20 E.F.T.S. aircraft were carrying out a training flight when they encountered a bank of fog. The instructor made
a precautionary landing near Weeton, to the north of Yeadon airfield but the aircraft ran into a furrow in the field. The aircraft sustained damage to its
undercarriage, main planes and propeller but the instructor and pupil escaped uninjured. The aircraft was repaired. The unit ORB gives the rank of the pilot
of P/O but techincally he rose to the rank of F/O three days before this incident although the notification did not come through for some weeks.
Instructor Pilot - F/O Alastair Stuart Hamilton Baillie RAFVR (88430), of Moidart, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Uninjured.
Pupil Pilot - Name unknown. Uninjured.
Alastair Baillie received a commission on 20th November 1940 to the rank of P/O on probation and then was promoted to F/O (war subs) with effect of 20th November 1941,
then to F/Lt (war subs) on 23rd November 1941. He was posted to No.5 S.F.T.S. as a staff instructor on 21st December 1941. He was flying with 25 Squadron Mosquito HK288 on 13th June 1944 when the aircraft crashed and he was
killed. He is buried in Brummen General Cemetery, Holland and was thirty years old.
Tiger Moth T6612 was built to contract 20916/39 by Morris Motors Ltd. at Cowley and was awaiting collection in October 1940 but was placed into MU
storage straight after acceptance. On or around 1st March 1941 it was taken on charge by 20 EFTS at Yeadon when the unit formed and as a result of the landing
at Weeton on 23rd November 1941 Cat.B/FA damage was the assessment. The aircraft was taken away by road and repaired in works but after this the history of the
aircraft becomes vague. It served with 21 EFTS at Booker and 16 EFTS at Burnaston before being placed in long term MU storage. It is listed as awaiting disposal
around 3rd January 1951 before being taken on charge No.2 Grading School at Digby when the unit formed. On 15th August 1951 this unit was re-designated 2 AGS
(2 Aircrew Grading School). In March 1952 the aircraft was converted to ground instructional airframe 6957M and after this nothing more is known about the aircraft.