On 13th April 1942 this 51 Squadron Whitley was being flown on a night circuits and landings exercise using Dishforth airfield. Soon after taking off for one of these short flights the aircraft suffered an engine failure and the pilot was unable to maintain height flying on just one engine. A forced landing was made around two miles north east of Dishforth airfield at 22.30hrs with damage to the aircraft. The crew escaped injury. The incident appears in police records which gives the location as being on farmland near Leckby Palace Farm, between the villages of Asenby and Cundall and near to the River Swale but with a time being an hour after that on the AM Form 1180 of 23.25hrs though this could well be the time the police were called out.
Pilot - Sgt Alfred George Hughes RAFVR (1257325).
Pilot - Sgt Olaf Antony Cussen RAFVR (923357).