ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 90957
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| Date: | Friday 21 March 1941 |
| Time: | 14:15 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 |
| Owner/operator: | 56 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | L1881 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Latterbarrow, near Hawkshead, Cumberland, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire |
| RAF Sutton Bridge |
On 21st March 1941 the pilot of this 56 OTU aircraft force landed in a small field on the lower slopes of Latterbarrow, near Hawkshead, Cumberland. The accident record card (Air Ministry Form AM1180) which probably relates to this incident near Hawkshead states that the pilot was undertaking a training flight when he flew out of range of the radio and eventually became lost in poor weather. Running out of fuel he made a forced landing in a small field.
The aircraft's identity on both the AM1180 form and also in the 56 OTU Operational Record Book lists the aircraft as being "Hurricane 318". It was finally discovered that the aircraft had been one of a small number of aircraft built for Canada and it had flown in Canada in 1939 under their military designation of Hurricane 318 - "318" being the serial number in RCAF service. The aircraft was actually built in the UK as Hurricane L1881 but it's serial then changed when it joined the RCAF.
Hurricane L1881 was built to contract 527112/36 by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. at either the Kingston or Brooklands factories and was awaiting collection in January 1939. This was the first production batch of Mk.1 Hurricanes. L1881 was one of twenty that was then dismantled and shipped to Canada arriving in May 1939. Of this production batch some were sent to Yugoslavia, some to Romania, some to Belgium, some to South Africa, some to Turkey and one to Iran.
After re-assembly in Canada, L1881 was taken on charge by No.1 Squadron RCAF at Trenton and given the Canadian serial "318". On 9th June 1940 No.1 Squadron RCAF embarked for the UK arriving 19th June 1940 but their aircraft had been shipped to the UK earlier than that. On 18th June 1940 it was taken on charge by 13 MU Henlow for assembly and testing and seven days later it was returned to the care of No.1 Squadron RCAF who were then based at Middle Wallop.
The squadron then moved to Croydon on 3rd July 1940 but around this time it was deemed that this batch of early Hurricanes were not front line serviceable so were withdrawn to training units. On 2nd August 1940 the aircraft was taken on charge by 6 OTU at Sutton Bridge who then charged there designation to become 56 OTU on 1st November 1940. The aircraft was never repainted with the former RAF serial of L1881 and continued to fly as "318".
On 16th December 1940 the aircraft was flown to 13 MU at Henlow for some minor work, probably modifications. It was returned to 56 OTU at Sutton Bridge on 9th January 1941. As a result of the forced landing near Hawkshead on 21st March 1941 Cat.W/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was then struck off charge ten days later
Crew:
P/O (Aus402053) Augustus "Mick" GRACE (pilot) RAAF - slightly injured.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain)
2. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1243797
3. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/lakes/318.html
4. http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_301_350_detailed.htm
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/08476.php
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Apr-2019 20:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Apr-2019 09:37 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 03-Aug-2019 20:42 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator] |
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