Beaufighter V8754 at Catterick Bridge.
On 5th April 1943 this aircraft crashed at 16.32hrs near Catterick Bridge, the incident is mentioned in a police record and the aircraft was described as being completely wrecked.
The incident is also mentioned in a Ferry Command occurance book I have found in the National Archives in AIR38/236 that states it was a 301 Ferry Training Unit aircraft that had suffered from the port engine failing. The pilot force landed the aircraft but both undercarriage legs and propellers were damaged along with the starboard mainplane, the rear fuselage and both engines received shock damage. Neither references mention the names of the crew sadly.
Crew - Names unknown.
Beaufighter V8754's history is currently rather vague. It was built to contract B.30264/39 by the Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd. at Filton and was awaiting collection in February 1943. The aircraft appears to have been initially taken on charge by 301 Ferry Training Unit at Lyneham but the date they received it is not yet known. As result of the crash at Catterick Bridge on 5th April 1943 reairable Cat.B/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was taken by road for a repair in works, probably by General Aircraft Ltd. at Hanworth as they were the only company with a full repair contract for this type of aircraft at that date. They then contracted the work out to Airtraining (Fair Oaks) Ltd. The aircraft next appears on charge with 1 O.A.D.U. at Portreath being prepared for overseas deployment. It finally appears on charge with 89 Squadron in Ceylon who operated Beaufighter VI's until April 1945. The aircraft was struck off charge on 20th June 1945.