Puss Moth G-ABEI at Bilton.

On 20th August 1939 Mr Kenneth William Pawson, Mr Benjamin Viggars and Mr Harry Bell; three members of Hull's Civil Air Guard rented the Hull Aero Club's Puss Moth to carry out a flight to Blackpool. They flew there without incident then later in the day attempted to fly back from Blackpool to the aero club's aerodrome site at Hedon, on the east side of Hull. During the return flight they landed at Stoke on Trent where they learned that thick mist was present over the Hull area. They set off to fly back to Hedon but the mist caused visibility to be limited. They arrived over the Hull area at around 3000 feet and when they thought they would be over Hull the pilot descended. Having then flown around the general Hull area for some time attempting to locate Hedon aerodrome and then anywhere for a suitable place to land the aircraft clipped the roof of a house, presumably in the area east of Hull. This collision knocked down a wireless aerial from the house and also dislodged a wheel cap from the aircraft. The petrol and oil storage tanks at Saltend were eventually spotted through a break in the cloud but they could not locate Hedon aerodrome so then landed in a field near Rockford Avenue / Chamblerlain Road. The aircraft was not damaged any further. Later that evening Hull Aero Club's flying instructor, Mr Thomas Edward Richardson, went to the landing site. By 19.30hrs he deemed that the mist had lifted to around 300 feet and it was felt that he would be able to take off and fly it back to Hedon aerodrome. He took off but once in the air he then became lost. He eventually landed at what he thought was part of Holderness Road but later turned out to be a field near Bilton, again without damage but it then remained at Bilton overnight. The following day he flew the aircraft back to Hedon. The missing wheel cap was also returned to the club.