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| Date: | Wednesday 8 November 1939 |
| Time: | 06:15 |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 64 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8731 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Rose Farm, Church Fenton, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire |
| RAF Church Fenton |
Blenheim L8731: Written off 8/11/39 crashed just after take-off at night for a night flying formation practice near Rose Farm, Church Fenton, Tadcaster, North Yorklshire, sadly killing the pilot when the aircraft flew into trees. It was thought that the pilot had raised the flaps too early after take off and the aircraft then failed to climb and struck trees some 700 yards from the airfield near Rose Farm, Church Fenton, directly in line with Church Fenton's runway 05/24.
Crew:
P/O (NZ40604) Desmond Charles Reid Carter (pilot) RNZAF - killed
LAC (527690) Geoffrey George James Lovegrove (Wop/AG ) RAF -injured /died 12/11/1939
Blenheim L8731 was built to contract 551920/37 by Rootes Securities Ltd at Speke and was delivered to 64 Squadron who were based at Church Fenton in August 1939. The aircraft sustained severe damage in the incident detailed above, Cat.W/FA damage was recorded following assessment and the aircraft was written off.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999
2. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939a.htm
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2402811
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2414332
5. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109765233
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103399342
7. http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C21958
8. https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/desmond-charles-reid-carter
9. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york39/l8731.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Aug-2008 11:09 | Anon. | Added |
| 26-Jan-2013 16:11 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Aug-2013 18:57 | JINX | Updated [Operator, Location, ] |
| 15-Dec-2014 16:57 | Froome | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 25-Apr-2018 20:49 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 03-Oct-2018 18:14 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Oct-2018 15:28 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 23-Feb-2020 18:55 | Iwosh | Updated [Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator, ] |
| 19-May-2024 10:53 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Operator, ] |
| 16-Jul-2024 22:19 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Narrative, Operator, ] |
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