Martinet MS552 near Dalton.
During the afternoon of 8th March 1944 this Martinet took off from Dalton airfield so the crew could undertake an airtest, it appears that the aircraft's throttle had a problem prior to the flight and the airtest flown with a member of ground crew may have been to check the problem. After a short flight the pilot attempted to make a landing at Dalton airfield at 16.05hrs but approached too fast. The fast speed caused the flaps not to fully extend so he opted to overshoot and applied full power to the engine to climb away. Unfortunately the throttle problem then manifested itself, as he applied more power the engine then failed. The aircraft continued to loose height until the pilot had no other option but to force land, with the wheels up on farm land on the north side of the River Swale, between Manor Lodge and Richmond Farm, Dalton. The two people on board sustained minor injuries but the aircraft was deemd damaged beyond repair. It was presumed that the flaps failed to work correctly because of the high landing speed of the aircraft and an examination of the failed engine found that non standard servicing had been carried out in the base spark plug section. The aircraft and crew were on the books of No.1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight who undertook the role of drogue towing and also fighter attacking aircraft for fighter affiliation exercises with No.6 Group bomber crews.
Pilot - P/O George Basarrich DFC RCAF (J/17784).
Passenger (/ Fitter) - AC1 E J Wildman RCAF (R/161688). Minor injuries.
Hugh Halliday's RCAF awards research has located the recommendation for his award dated 28th September 1943 when he had flown 550 hours, amounting to 56 operational flights (lasting 126 hours), this recommendation was more detailed and reads.. "Pilot Officer Basarich has now been in this squadron nine months and has completed 56 operational sorties for a total of 126.45 hours. He started in the first bomber wing in North Africa flying Bisleys and did some difficult sorties in extremely bad weather over the Tunisian mountains to enemy aerodromes and dock areas. Then flying Boston aircraft he took part in the intensive daylight operations against heavily defended landing grounds and strong points that culminated in the end of the Tunisian campaign. Since that time he has operated consistently and successfully at night over Sicily and Italy against aerodromes, towns, marshalling yards and enemy lines of communications with singular success, invariably dropping his incendiaries from 1,500 feet or below, accurately on his target. Pilot Officer Basarich's crew is one of the most reliable and pugnacious in the squadron. If a more difficult and dangerous task is wanted his name is automatically brought to mind. His keenness to hit the enemy as hard as possible on every occasion is most outstanding, and he is seldom satisfied with merely dropping his bombs but invariably returns to the attack with all his guns from low level. As a team-work pilot in daylight boxes he has flown No.2 or No.3 with consistent steadiness and unperturbability even in the worst flak and in so doing has set a fine example and helped his fellow pilots. As an individual night pilot he has proved himself to be an accurate and deadly intruder with much more than average dash and initiative. In short, this pilot is a first class fighter who has done extremely well and continues to show very great keenness, and is strongly recommended for this award." Also of note is that the CO of 326 Light Bomber Wing added that "By his example in keenness to attack the enemy and because of the courageous and successful manner in which he has carried out the numerous operational tasks allotted to him this officer has well deserved the above recommendation."
On 4th March 1944 P/O Basarrich was the pilot of Martinet MS869 that was force landed on a golf course at Strensall after he ran out of fuel in a snowstorm.
Martinet MS552 WAS built to contract ACFT/1690 by Philips and Powys Ltd. at Reading and was first test flown on 15th July 1943. Four days later it was delivered directly to 1691 (Bombing) Gunnery Flight at Dalton. On 15th February 1944 1691 (B)G.Flt. was absorbed into the newly formed 1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight, at Dalton, where it carried the code "3K-L". As a result of a mishap near Dalton on 8th March 1944 minor Cat.A(c)/FA was the damage assessment. The published history of the aircraft states it was repaired on site and returned to 1695 Flight use on 28th April 1944. As a result of a mishap on 10th September 1944 Cat.B/FA damage resulted when undercarriage collapsed taxying at Topcliffe. From this situation the aircraft was dismantled and transported by road to Miles Aircraft Ltd. at Woodley for a repair in works, arriving there on 16th September 1944. With repairs complete two months later on 10th November 1944 it was flown to 48 M.U. at Hawarden for long term storage. On 10th December 1948 it was struck off charge and sold as scrap to Henry Bath & Son Ltd, metal merchants of Liverpool.
George Bararrich was born in Keokuk, Iowa, USA and was living in Clinton, Iowa when he enlisted into the RCAF in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in May 1941. He served with 114 Squadron in 1943 and was awarded the DFC for service with them (but presented in August 1948). The notification appeared in the London Gazette on 26th November 1943, the citation reads.. "During the last nine months Pilot Officer Basarich has taken part in a large number of operational sorties. He has flown in adverse weather over the Tunisian mountains to attack enemy airfields and docks and has participated in daylight operations against heavily defended posts. He has also operated consistently and successfully at night over Sicily and Italy against enemy lines of communications. An excellent pilot, this officer has always displayed steadiness and imperturbability which, combined with his fine fighting spirit, have been an inspiring example to the other pilots in his squadron."