On 31st January 1942 the ATA pilot of this aircraft was attempting to take off from a snow-covered Yeadon airfield at 10.40hrs when the aircraft ran into a eight foot deep snow drift and overturned.
Pilot - S/O Zita Kathleen Irwin ATA (W54).
Tiger Moth BB800 was built by the De Havilland Aircraft Co. Ltd. at Hatfield and was first registered on 9th December 1935 on the UK civilian register as G-ADWE to Scottish Aviation Ltd. who were based at Prestwick. On 17th February 1936 it began operating with 12 E & RFTS run by Scottish Aviation Ltd. On 3rd September 1939 12 E & RFTS was re-designated 12 E.F.T.S. and aircraft continued to operate from Prestwick. On 20th April 1941 the aircraft was transferred to 20 E.F.T.S. at Yeadon and was used there until 9th January 1942 when 20 E.F.T.S. was disbanded but the aircraft was initially placed in storage at Yeadon. On 31st January 1942 a pilot of the Training Ferry Pilot Pool was tasked with ferrying the aircraft to an unstated location when it sustained this mishap at Yeadon on taking off. Cat.B/FA was the damage assessment and it was removed by road to Taylorcraft Ltd. at Rearsby for repair. On 7th March 1942 on completion of repair it was taken on charge by 6 (P)AFU at Little Rissington and then on 1st December 1942 it was transferred to 7 E.F.T.S. at Desford where it remained for nearly five years. On 9th May 1947 7 E.F.T.S. was re-designated 7 R.F.S. and the aircraft was now coded "RCP-G". It continued to be used until 14th November 1951 when it was placed in long term storage with 9 M.U. at Cosford awaiting disposal. On 2nd September 1952 it was taken on charge by 2 G.U. (Airwork) at Kirton in Lindsey but this was only a brief as on 12th March 1953 it was again placed in storage, this time at 12 M.U. at Kirkbride. On 18th November 1953 it was sold to A.J.Whittemore (Aeroradio Ltd.) but the aircraft was not re-registered on the civilian registered, it was sadly reported as having been broken up at Croydon in 1956. No doubt numerous trainee service personnel had undertaken their first flights in this aircraft over the many years it had served with the RAF's basic training units.
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