BA Eagle HM506 at Marston Moor airfield.
On 19th July 1942 the undercarriage of this aircraft collapsed on landing at Marston Moor airfield.
The aircraft had only just been repaired from the same thing happening the previous month.
Pilot - G/Cpt John Bradbury DFC RAF (03153).
John Bradbury transferred from the Army to the RFC in 1917 and flew in France. He then transferred to the RAF on its formation. In 1919 and 1920 he flew in Egypt and between 1921 to 1925 he was in India where he saw service in Waziristan in 1923 and 1925. In 1926 he returned to the UK and became a test pilot at Martlesham for time before receiving postings to numerous other units. As F/Lt he was presented with the DFC at Buckingham Palace on 27th February 1934. He was posted to 33 Squadron on 23rd September 1935 and later rose to S/Ldr on 1st April 1936, rising to W/Co on 1st January 1939. He took command of 77 Squadron on an unknown date but shortly after crashing Whitley K8995 near Thornaby in July 1939 he was posted to the Air Ministry, he was promoted to G/Cpt (temp) on 1st June 1941 and continued his service throughout WW2. He was Station Commanding Officer of RAF Marston Moor from 25th October 1941 to at least 21st January 1942. He relinquished his temporary rank of G/C on 1st November 1947 taking the rank of W/Co (subs) but was promoted back to G/C (subs) on 19th May 1949 and retired from the RAF the following day.
Eagle HM596 was built by British Klemm at Hanworth as Serial Number 127 and registered to them as G-AEGO on 28th April 1936.
The Certificate of Airworthiness was issued on 7th May 1936 and it was registered to Reginald Branston on 15th May 1936, based
at Cambridge. Ownership changed on 19th July 1938 when it was registered to Ian Ramsay at Hanworth. The C.of A. expired on 4th July
1939. It was inspected at the Rollason's Works at Hanworth by the Air Ministry on 12th September 1939 and the C. of A. was extended
to 18th June 1941. It is very unlikely that the aircraft was flown very much in that time however. The C. of A. was renewed on 19th
June 1941 and the aircraft was impressed by the Air Ministry on 6th August 1941 as HM506. The following day, 7th August 1941 it
was delivered to 24 Squadron at Hendon. On 4th September 1941 it was issued for personal use of G/Cpt. Frederick Sidney Cotton
and was based at Heston. On 25th April 1941 it was re-issued for personal use of Gp/Cpt. F.W. Winterbotham, again at Heston.
On 31st January 1941 it was allocated for use by AOC 44 Group. The owner of the aircraft was notified by the Air Ministry of
it's impressment on 8th November 1941. The allocation to AOC 44 Group. was cancelled on 13th November 1941 and the aircraft
was re-allocated to 41 Group. It was delivered to 5 MU at Kemble on 18th November 1941 where it remained until it's move north to Yorkshire. On 13th March 1942 the aircraft flew from Kemble to Northolt, the following day it flew from Northolt up to Leeming. On 17th March 1942 it arrived at it's new base (recorded as being at Marston Moor, but seems more likely to have been at Clifton, being the closest airfield to Heslington Hall, the location of 4 Group's headquarters). Here is was attached to 4 Group Communications Flight, but a team from Marston Moor fueled the aircraft at Clifton however, the aircraft was taken to Marston Moor for servicing however because Clifton had no facilities for this there. It suffered a mishap at Clifton sustaining Cat.A(c)/FA on 3rd May 1942 when it landed with its undercarriage retracted. It was repaired on site but was then again damaged with Cat.A(c)/GA damage at Marston Moor; the undercarriage collapsed when being pushed into a hangar on 17th June 1942. On 19th July 1942 it was again damaged but this time being given Cat.E/FA damage at Marston Moor (detailed above). It was assessed by 60 MU at Shipton by Beningbrough and struck off charge as Cat.E1 on 27th July 1942 with total flying time recorded as 257 hours and 10 minutes.