On the night of 6th / 7th September 1942 this 25 Squadron aircraft undertook a routine patrol to be airborne should enemy aircraft be registered on early warning they were in a position to intercept it. The aircraft took off from Church Fenton at 21.00hrs. While patrolling the area the crew received contact from Patrington G.C.I. station informing them of an approaching aircraft, they located the aircraft and identified it as a Heinkel HeIII. At around 23.30hrs and in a position around 10-15 miles off Flamborough Head the Beaufighter crew opened fire and hits were seen on the HeIII but the enemy aircraft returned fire and damaged the radio equipment and the hydraulic of the Beaufighter. The Beaufighter crew made a second attack which caused the crew of the HeIII to take evasive action and they were lost. The beaufighter returned to base and a belly landing was made at Church Fenton at 00.20hrs. The aircraft is later mentioned in the squadron records as being repaired and returned to them on 20th October 1942.
Pilot - F/Lt John Leslie Shaw RAF (41479).
Navigator / Radar Operator - W/O Norman Henry Guthrie DFM RAF (804307).
Norman Guthrie had served with 604 Squadron during the Battle of Britain as an air gunner. He was awarded the DFM for service with 604 Squadron, Gazetted in June 1941. Having then retrained as a radar operator he later joined 25 Squadron. He received a commission on 8th September 1942 and died in February 1981.