Martinet MS869 near Strensall, York.
At around 15.00hrs on 4th March 1944 this No.1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight Martinet took off from Dalton airfield for a drogue towing flight over the range that was sited off Scarborough. Two hours into the flight and as the aircraft was returning to base from flying off the Yorkshire coastline bad weather closed in. A snow storm caused the pilot to become lost and after flying for sometime he ran low on fuel and had no option but to force-land the aircraft. He did so just before 17.00hrs with the undercarriage down near Strensall on land used as a golf course, close to the military ranges without injury to himself but with slight damage to the aircraft. A wing tip may have been the only damage. A party from the King's Royal Rifles initially provided a guard for the aircraft until being relieved by a party from East Moor airfield. The pilot became lost in a snowstorm and it transpired the aircraft had not been fully filled up with fuel before take off, the fuel bowser did not have enough in it to complete the job. The pilot was a very experienced pilot who had flown many operational hours. This posting to Yorkshire probably came as a welcome break to his many hours of operational flying. Another Martinet was landed at Hutton Cranswick airfield without damage after experiencing the same snowstorm. On 9th March 1944 Martinet MS869 was transported from Strensall to Clifton airfield by road.
Pilot - P/O George Basarrich DFC RCAF (J/17784), of Clinton, Iowa, USA.
Observer - Name unknown.
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."
Only four days after this incident at Strensall P/O Basarrich was the pilot of Martinet MS552 on 8th March 1944 undertaking an airtest when the aircraft suffered engine failure, he was able to effect an approach to land at Dalton but overshot and belly landed in a field nearby with slight damage to the aircraft.
Martinet MS869 was built to Contract ACFT/1690 by Phillips and Powys Aviation Ltd at Reading and was delivered to 27 M.U. at Shawbury on 19th October 1943 to be placed in storage. On 24th December 1943 it was taken on charge by 1691 (Bomber) Gunnery Flight at Dalton. On 15th February 1944 1691 Flight was absorbed by 1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight at Dalton when the unit formed. It suffered Cat.A/FA as a result of being force landed near Strensall on 4th March 1944, Cat.Ac damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site and flown back to Dalton. It continued to serve with 1695 B.D.T.Flight, sustaining minor Cat.A/FA damage on 17th May 1944 and 11th June 1944 with repairs on site being made each time at Dalton. It remained at 1685 Flight until early 1945. On 27th February 1945 it was flown into 27 M.U. at Shawbury to be placed in store and remained there until being struck off charge as 'sold for scrap' to Henry Bath & Son, metal merchants of Liverpool on 10th December 1948.
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."