Mosquito HX824 near Kirklevington.

On 30th August 1945 the pilot of this No.13 Operational Training Unit aircraft reported that his port engine was overspeeding which then caught fire during a training flight over the Teesside area. He stated that he could not feather the engine or maintain height so he and his navigator baled out. By the time the pilot left the aircraft he was too low for his parachute to deploy properly and was killed. The aircraft crashed near Low Forest Farm, Kirklevington. 13 O.T.U. were based at Middleton St.George but were also using nearby Croft airfield as a satellite at the time. Which airfield this aircraft had taken off from is not known.

Pilot - F/O Peter Ernest Nolan RAFVR (153510), aged 21. Buried East Harnham, Wiltshire.

Navigator - F/O Sydney Coates RAFVR (167808). Uninjured.

Peter Nolan received a commission on 17th September 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and was promoted to F/O (war subs) six months later on 17th March 1944. He was to have been married in the same church near Salisbury the day of his funeral on 5th September 1945.
Mosquito HX824 was built to contract ACFT/555 by D.H. at Hatfield and was taken on charge as new by 29 Squadron at Bradwell Bay on 6th August 1943. On 6th September 1943 it was transferred to 464 Squadron at Sculthorpe. It served it's operational life with this unit before moving to 13 O.T.U. on 29th January 1944. It was destroyed in the crash on 30th August 1945, with Cat.E2/FA(burnt) damage being the damage assessment. The aircraft was struck off charge on 15th September 1945.