At 01.55hrs on 2nd January 1942 this No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit aircraft crashed on take off from Thornaby airfield after the cover over the pitot head was left on, the minor damage that resulted was later was repaired.
Pilot - Sgt R D Stow.
The pilot could well have been Robert Douglas Stow RAFVR (938440) who was killed as the result of a flying accident on 15th June 1944 who was serving with 160 Squadron at the time. 160 Squadron flew Liberators. He is buried in Colombo Cemetery, Sri Lanka and was thirty one years old. A likely birth in the birth register is for Robert Stow born in the Spilsby area of Lincolnshire in 1912 and someone with the same name had gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificate at the Hull Aero Club on 29th May 1939.
Hudson T9318 was purchased direct from Lockheed-Vega at Burbank, California by the British Purchasing Conmmission without contract, it was delivered by sea to Liverpool and assembled and tested by The Lockheed Assembly Division (UK) Ltd. at Speke in June 1940. On 28th June 1940 it was flown to 12 MU and remained with them until being taken on charge by No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit on 29th August 1941. On 2nd January 1942 it was damaged at Thornaby. Cat.A/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired and returned to service the unit but the aircraft's AM Form 78 states that this was some time later on 10th July 1942. It continued to serve with 6 (c)OTU until 9th November 1941 when Cuncliffe Owen were tasked with repairing it. Once servicable it went to 22 MU and remained in store for the rest
of the war, being finally struck off charge on 30th November 1945.