Mosquito FB.6 RS698 near Garton on the Wolds.
On Sunday, 5th December 1948 this No.204 Advanced Flying School aircraft was being flown on a night training exercise. During the flight the pilot was given permission to make his final approach to land at Driffield when the aircraft flew into higher ground north of the airfield. It was heard by AC1 Alan Cox at Cottam airfield at 22.15hrs, he was in a guard room and heard it fly over at around 200-300 feet in a south westerly direction and then heard three bangs but unfortunately he did not report this until much later. The aeroplane was reported as overdue and a widescale search was begun, the BBC broadcast a request for information. It was located by tractor driver Arthur Swabey in a field around a mile from Garton Grange, Garton on the Wolds. The pilot may have misread his altimeter and descended to 600ft not 1600ft. There is an accident investigation at the National Archives under file "AVIA5/29 rep.W2432" which will yield more information, generally such AVIA5 files were produced if technical failure was suspected.
Pilot - P.IV Robert Gillespie RAF (3020613), aged 23, of Irvine, Ayrshire. Buried Knadgeranll Cemetery, Girdle Toll, Ayrshire
Navigator - N.2 Peter McLaren RAF (1564083), aged 32, of Ardler, Meigle, Perthshire. Buried Meigle Churchyard, Perthshire.