Mosquito DD754 at Church Fenton airfield.
On 28th April 1943 this 25 Squadron aircraft took off from Church Fenton airfield for a night-time test flight. While in the air the aircraft was about to fly into a bank of cloud so the pilot made a tight turn to avoid it, during the turn the crew heard a bang. A short time later the observer saw that there was a hole in the starboard tailplane and that the speed was much lower than would normally be expected. In checking the undercarriage it was realised that the starboard undercarriage would not lock down nor would properly retract so the observer was instructed to bale out and the pilot then made a one wheeled landing at Church Fenton. When the speed fell off the starboard wing dropped onto the runway and it came to rest with damage. It was later found that a known problem with the undercarriage door catch had again failed on this aircraft and that the starboard undercarriage leg had dropped down in flight, this caused the door to break off and strike the tail. The dropping down of the undercarriage leg had caused damage to the front spar and the hydraulic system. The aircraft was repaired and continued to be used by 25 Squadron until it crashed near Filey in December 1943.
On 8th April 1943 exactly the same thing happened to Mosquito DD747 over Goole but which saw the tail break off when the undercarriage doors struck it and the aircraft then crashed with the loss of the two crew.
Pilot - Sgt John Richard Brockbank RAFVR (1383093).
Observer - Sgt David McCausland RAFVR (1586096).
Both airmen listed above were Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1945 and both had received commissions. John Brockbank was later killed flying Mosquito MM791 with 151 Squadron on 6th March 1945 at Bradwell Bay, Essex. He is buried in Barrow in Furness Cemetery, Cumbria.
Mosquito DD754 was built to contract Ctts/a/c/555 by De Havilland Ltd. at Hatfield and was received by 30 MU on 13th September 1942. The aircraft then passed to 27 MU on 9th October 1942 and was then taken on charge by 25 Squadron at Church Fenton on 24th October 1942. It may have received some form of accident damage on or just prior to 22nd January 1943 (that was deemed Cat.Ac) because the aircraft's AM Form 78 states that No.43 Group D.A. assessed it on the following day and that was often following accident damage. A repair on site was begun on complete on 5th February 1943 1943 and it returned to 25 Squadron. It sustained damage in the air on 28th April 1943 that saw Cat.Ac/FA damage be the damage assessment. A repair on site was carried out and it was returned to 25 Squadron on 16th July 1943. On 12th December 1943 the aircraft crashed near West Flotmanby, near Filey and sadly both crew were killed. Cat.E2/FA damage was the assessment of the wreckage and it was struck off charge.