Unidentified Avro 504 near Holmbridge.
On Friday, 31st March 1939 during a flight between Manchester to Leeds the pilot flew into fog and became lost. The aircraft then developed a problem with the engine so the pilot made a successful forced landing, described in newspapers as being at Wheatclose. Holmside, Holmbridge near Holmfirth. He made adjustments to the engine then attempted to take off later in the day but the aeroplane's undercarriage struck a stonewall at the end of the field causing it to crash in the adjacent field. The pilot was taken to the Holme Valley Memorial Hospital in Holmfirth by a passing motorist and was then transferred to Leeds. The aeroplane was owned by Air Publicity Ltd (initially of Penshurst, Kent), based at Heston. The company appear to have operated taxi flight services between cities using Avro 504's. Just weeks early Avro 504 G-ADDA crashed at Mastin Moor, Derbyshire on 12th January 1939 injuring the passenger. This one damaged near Holmfirth may have been G-ADBR.
Pilot - Mr John Dennis George Bishop, aged 25, of Bolling Hill, Petersfield, Hampshire. Head injuries.
This aeroplane had been K1819 in earlier military service before being sold to the UK civilian market. It was not impressed into the RAF in WW2 but on paper existed until the registration was cancelled on 1st December 1946.