On 29th December 1942 this 10 Operational Training Unit aircraft was being flown on a cross country training flight when it suffered a failure of the starboard engine and also a partial failure of the port engine. Unable to maintain height the pilot forced landed at 13.25hrs near Intake Farm, Embsay. The crew escaped injury. Nothing more is known about the incident.
Pilot - Sgt Alexander Massie RAFVR (1345043).
Rest of crew - Names unknown.
Alexander Massie was later posted to 77 Squadron. He was flying 77 Squadron Halifax JD379 on 24th August 1943 when the aircraft crashed in North-West Germany after combat with a night-fighter. Four of the crew survived and became pows but Massie was killed and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery.
Whitley LA785 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was received by 20 MU on 11th December 1942. It was taken on charge as new by 10 O.T.U. at Abingdon on 22nd December 1942 and as a result of the forced landing at Embsay on 29th December 1942 repairable Cat.B/FA was the assessment. It was taken away by road and repaired by Marshalls. Once servicable it was received by 38 MU on 4th September 1943 and was then taken on charge by 297 Squadron at Stoney Cross on 28th September 1943. On 15th January 1944 it was transferred to O.and R.T.U. at Thruxton and moved with them to Hampstead Norris on 1st March 1944. The aircraft was transferred to 42 O.T.U. at Andover on 3rd February 1944. On 20th March 1945 this unit disbanded so the aircraft was placed in MU storage for disposal. It was struck off charge on 28th April 1945.
The aircraft is assumed to have crashed in the fields around the farm shown in this photograph, had the fields been in a similar condition in 1942 they would have been ideal for the forced landing.