Hawker Demon K5693 near Flaxton.
On Saturday, 4th February 1939 the pilot of this 41 Squadron Demon aircraft was on a cross-country training exercise and flying from Oxford to Catterick. Whilst over the Yorkshire area mist came down reducing visibility so the pilot attempted to force land near Flaxton. On trying to land in a field the tail of the plane clipped a tree, this damaged the undercarriage which then collapsed when it landed. The pilot received minor injuries. The aircraft was later recovered by road and the airframe was then used for ground instruction training.
Pilot - P/O Douglas Robert Gamblen RAF (39657).
Douglas Gamblen was born in the Alverstoke area of Hampshire in 1915 and was educated at the Portsmouth Grammar School between 1925 and 1930. He joined the RAF in March 1937 and having trained at No.10 Flying Training School at Tern Hill from 9th May 1937 he gained his Wings in September 1937. He was granted a short service commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation also on 9th May 1937. He was posted to 41 Squadron as an Acting P/O in November 1937 but was then posted to Manston for a Parachute Packing Course in February 1938 but returned to 41 Squadron. He was confirmed in the rank P/O in March 1938 and rose to F/O on 8th October 1939. He was still serving with 41 Squadron in 1940 when he was posted missing flying Spitfire N3038 following a combat with Ju87s and Bf109s over Dover on 29th July 1940. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. At the time of this landing accident near Flaxton he had a total of 266 hours flying time but only five hours of these were on the Demon type.
Hawker Demon K5693 was built to contract 389428/35 by Boulton & Paul Ltd. at Wolverhampton and was delivered directly to 607 Squadron at Usworth on 18th January 1937. On 28th March 1937 it overshot a landing in a field at Falstone, near Bellingham, Northumberland and collided with a fence which caused it to tip onto the nose. Cat.R/FA damage would have been the damage assessment and it was probably repaired on site and flown out. It transferred to 41 Squadron at Catterick on 12th December 1938. On 4th February 1939 it crashed near Flaxton, the damage was then assessed as being Cat.W/FA. It was dismantled on site and it's remains were considered suitable for ground instructional use, it was allotted the "M" serial 1379M. It was delivered to Locking on 31st March 1939. No further record after this exists.