Oxford P1844 at Acaster Malbis airfield.
During the afternoon of 3rd June 1942 this 15 (P.)A.F.U. aircraft was being flown on a training flight that used Acaster Malbis airfield. At 18.30hrs the pilot made what appeared to be a normal landing on what was freshly cut grass, when he applied the brakes nothing happened. The aircraft rolled off the airfield and through a ditch on the airfield boundary causing damage to the aircraft and minor injuries to the pilot. It was later stated that the brake pressure had been used by earlier landings and that the pilot had taken off with low brake pressure prior to this incident occurring.
Pilot - Sgt John Ritchie Symons RCAF (R/74729).
John Ritchie Symons was born on 27th November 1909 at Sydney, Nova Scotia and was the son of William and Adelaide (nee Ritchie) Symons. He enlisted for RCAF service on 10t October 1940 in Vancouver. After training he was awarded his pilot's wings on 21st November 1941 that then saw him posted to the UK days later. He was posted to 15 (P)AFU on 21st March 1942. Following the mishap at Acaster Malbis on 3rd June 1942 he was posted to 4 AGS on 11th June 1942 where he appears to have served as a staff pilot. He was later posted to 23 OTU on 16th June 1943, 1664 HCU on 15th August 1943 and then to 419 Squadron on 10th September 1943. He was subsequently killed on 29th September 1943 when 419 Squadron Halifax BB376 failed to return from Ops to Bochum. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was later granted a commission that was backdated to 29th September 1943.