Date:	Friday 19 January 1940
Time:	10:50
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk I
Owner/operator:	64 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L1469
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	field near Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Church Fenton

Narrative:
Blenheim L1469, 64 Squadron, RAF: During the morning of 19th January 1940 this 64 Squadron aircraft was one of three that were tasked with flying an operational patrol of the Yorkshire Coast area. At around 10.05hrs they took off from Church Fenton airfield, climbed to 2000 feet and had planned to fly together toward the coast despite snow clouds being in the general area. At around 2000 feet and a few miles north east of the airfield the pilot of Blenheim L1469 made radio contact stating he was suffering trouble with the starboard engine so was returning to base.

He left the formation and was not seen by the other pilots in the remaining two aircraft. At around the same time the other pilots received instructions to climb and find out what the state of the clouds were. They climbed into cloud just above them but then became temporarily lost when they descended and also became separated. Having received homing signals, they returned to Church Fenton and landed but Blenheim L1462 landed heavily and was damaged.

After leaving the other two aircraft the crew of L1469 found themselves flying in a snowstorm and had to descend to just 150 feet above the ground to keep it in sight. The pilot contacted his base and received a signal to begin to circle the area. Both engines then failed and once the speed fell the aircraft stalled and crashed at 10.45hrs. The crash site appears to have been close to the village and while the two airmen were thrown out, they were soon helped by a policeman who had witnessed the crash in the village. It was found that the pilot had set the air intake heater to the "cold" position once in the air and this caused the carburettors to fail in the snow storm. Both airmen sustained injuries and were taken to York Military Hospital for treatment.

Crew:
Pilot Officer (42080) Thomas Derek SAUL (Pilot) RAF seriously injured (recovered and died in 1947)
Sgt Denis Harold Alan SKILLINGS (W/Op/Air Gunner) RAF seriously injured (recovered and died in 2005)

NOTE: The 64 Sqn. form F.541 records the crews as Laing in L1469 and Saul in L1462, while the F.540 only notes Saul and Skillings injured in a crash at Sherburn but has no serial for their aircraft. The F.1180 and AIR 81/1805 casualty file both confirm the pilot as Saul in L1469 and that the two crew were injured.

Thomas Saul was born on 4th March 1918 at Dublin, Ireland but his family were living in Bromley, Surrey when he enlisted for RAF service. He received a commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 27th May 1939 and was later graded as P/O on probation on 18th November 1939 and was confirmed in his appointment as P/O on 17th March 1940. He was promoted to F/O on 18th November 1940 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 18th November 1941. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 2nd June 1943 for valuable service in the air. In November 1945 he transferred to the Reserve but was called up for service with immediate effect. There is a possibility that he was Mentioned in Despatches a second time. On 15th December 1947 he was serving with 64 Squadron when he sadly died at the age of twenty-eight years old in a non-flying incident. (Some sources state that it was medical complications as the result of a perforated duodenal ulcer) He was married and is buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin. The CWGC online database lists him as being a test pilot at his death.

Denis Skillings was born on 6th February 1915 at Waterford, Ireland but his family were living in Beddington, Surrey when he enlisted for RAF service. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 17th January 1940 though notification of this did not appear in the London Gazette until May 1940. He rose to the rank of F/O on probation (war subs) on 17th April 1942 and to F/Lt (war subs) exactly a year later. He married in Croydon, Surrey in 1947. On 21st October 1948 he was granted a permanent commission of F/Lt in the RAF. He remained in the RAF until retiring on 28th April 1958, retaining the rank of Sqn/Leader. He died in Cardiff in 2005.

Blenheim L1469 was built to contract 527114/36 by The Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd at Filton and was delivered to 64 Squadron at Church Fenton in January 1939 when the unit converted from Hawker Demon (turret version) to Blenheim Mk.1F's. It sustained Cat. W/FA damage following the damage sustained on 19th January 1940 and was struck off charge. It is believed that the loss of Blenheim L1469 was the first loss of a front-line aircraft in the Sherburn-in-Elmet area

1. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york40/l1469.html
2. https://sherburninelmethistory.co.uk/aviation/aircraft-accidents/
3. National Archives (PRO Kew): 64 Sqn. ORB for the period March 1936-December 1940: AIR 27/589, p. 100 (noted in the F.541 only): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2503226
4. National Archives (PRO Kew): AIR 81/1805 Casualty File (p. 17 & 35) for L1469: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16471358
5. https://martinaviationpages.com/19-january-1940/
6. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/awards/details.php?qnum=42080&qname=SAUL
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherburn-in-Elmet_Airfield#Pre-War_and_Wartime_history

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jul-2024 11:31	Nepa	Added [Operator, ]
24-Jul-2024 11:41	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator, ]
24-Jul-2024 11:44	Nepa	Updated [Damage, Operator, ]
22-Jul-2025 23:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category, ]