Mosquito NF.36 RK984 at Leeming airfield.

On 3rd May 1951 this No.228 Operational Conversion Unit was flown on a training exercise that involved one engine being shut down and being flown on one engine to simulate an engine failure. During a single engined landing at Leeming airfield the aircraft over-ran the runway and ran through the airfield boundary onto the A1 road at the eastern side of the airfield. Unfortunately a Co-Op cheese lorry was passing at that moment and a collision then occurred. The lorry then ran through a hedge and into a field at Leeming Lodge Farm, both the twenty nine year old driver and his thirty year old passenger sustained injuries. The staff pilot was able to run from the aircraft to the crashed lorry and help with the rescue effort. Both civilians were later taken to the Friarage Hospital at Northallerton.

Staff Pilot - F/Sgt Josef Radwanski KW, 3xML RAF (782307). Slightly injured.

Pupil Pilot - P/O Christopher Stamp Tulloch Cuntstable Brooksbank RAF (3504739). Injured.

Civilian - Mr George William Usher. Injured.

Civilian - Mr William L Morland. Injured.

Josef Radwanski was born on 26th February 1916 at Tern, Poland and served in the Polish Air Force. He flew with 307 Squadron. He was discharged from the PAF on 23rd May 1948 and then enlisted into the RAF the following day. In 1960 he married Dorothy MacBride Warnock (who was became known for her pioneering work in occupational health nursing). He died in June 1999
F/Lt Brooksbank was killed on 1st September 1959 flying 23 Squadron Javelin XH781 when it flew into the back of Javelin XH775 at 26,000 feet.

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