B.A.Eagle DP847 at Linton on Ouse airfield.

This was a rare little aircraft in the skies of North Yorkshire. On 19th October 1943 this aircraft was being given an air test when, after thirty minutes of flight, the undercarriage collapsed on landing at Linton on Ouse airfield at 15.10hrs. The aircraft was not repaired. The passenger was the regular bomb aimer in the pilot's 426 Squadron crew.

This aircraft was built by the British Aircraft Manufacturing Company Ltd for the civilian market. It was initially registered on the UK civilian register as G-ADVT on 9th April 1936 to the 6th Marquess of Donegall (Edward Arthur St.George Hamilton Chichester) and was based at Heston aerodrome. It was impressed by the RAF on 14th March 1941 and was issued to No.6 Group Communications Flight for use as a runabout and taxi aircraft on 9th December 1942.

Pilot - F/Lt Thomas Matthew Kneale RCAF (J/14999).

Passenger (Bomb Aimer) - F/O James MacKay RCAF (J/20832).

On 16th December 1943 both airmen named above were flying Lancaster DS837 on Ops to Berlin when the aircraft crashed into Yearsley village on the return flight, sadly both were killed. They are buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery. I show their full biographies on the webpages dedicated to this more serious incident here.

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