Lysander V9605 in Scarborough.
Lysander V9605 nearest the camera.
During the morning of 4th June 1941 this 4 Squadron Lysander took off from Clifton airfield near York with two pilots on board, the offical reason for the flight was to
carry out a photographic exercise at 5000 feet, but after this task was carried out the aircraft overflew Scarborough shortly after 11.00hrs. The pilot in charge
of the aircraft at the time came from the Scarborough area and his parents lived at 20 Lowdale Avenue (near to where the modern Kinderland development was built
in more modern years). The aircraft overflew Lowdale Avenue, it was thought that the pilot was showing his friend and collegue where his parents lived. They were
so low that the aircraft clipped the roof of 26 Lowdale Avenue and shortly afterwards, at 11.15hrs, dived into the ground on allotment gardens near Weydale Avenue
killing both men instantly. The aircraft was destroyed.
Lysander V9605 was built to contract 54509/39 by Westland's at Yeovil. It is believed to have been delivered to the RAF in February 1941 but placed
in MU storage before being issued to 4 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse on an unknown date. It was destroyed and Cat.W/FA damage was recorded following the
incident at Scarborough and struck off charge.
Pilot - P/O Geoffrey Richard Graham Mould RAF (44535), aged 26, of 20 Lowdale Avenue, Scarborough. Buried Manor Road Cemetery, Scarborough, Yorkshire.
Pilot (Passenger) - P/O William Leonard Theys RAFVR (81418), aged 30, of Bedford. Buried Bedford. Husband to Margaret Theys. Living at 75 Reighton Ave, Clifton, York at the time of his death.
P/O Mould's headstone in Manor Road Cemetery, Scarborough. He had previously served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers before tranferring to the
RAF in October 1940 and being granted the rank of Pilot Officer. He had trained at No.8 & No.9 EFTS. At the time of his death he had 228 hours total flying
to his name with 100 hours being on the Lysander type and 98 of these were solo on type.
The crash scene as it was soon after the accident. My thanks to local historian Mr Richard Percy for his input in researching this incident and for providing this photograph. Mr Percy has published a number of books about Scarborough. The old alloments appear to have been north of the house it struck.
If the house numbers are still the same today then the aircraft clipped the roof of this house.
The aircraft crashed on land close to where this hotel would be built some years later and it was named the "Lysander" hotel because of this accident. My thanks for the owners of the "Lysander" for contacting me in 2007.
William Theys received a commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 28th June 1940 and was graded as P/O on probation on 25th August 1940.
He was married by the time he died.
