Date:	Thursday 16 January 1941
Time:	01:45
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	54 OTU RAF
Registration:	N1542
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Location:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire

Narrative:
Boulton Paul Defiant N1542, 54 OTU, RAF Church Fenton: On 16 January 1941 this aircraft was one of three training aircraft belonging to 54 OTU that were attacked by enemy aircraft while a night flying exercise was in progress, the enemy aircraft also dropped between 80 to 90 incendiaries around the airfield. Two aircraft have been identified but this Blenheim has yet to be identified. The Luftwaffe pilot, Oblt Albert Schulz of NJG/2, actually claimed the three aircraft to have been Blenheims and that he destroyed all three but this was not a correct claim as two of the aircraft were Defiants and none were destroyed. Uffz Otto Kraher of 3/NJG also made a claim for destroying an aircraft on the same night over an unknown location.

Defiant N1542 was in the air at the time of the attack and was slightly damaged when attacked, the pilot was able to make a safe landing at Church Fenton without further damage to the aircraft.

Crew:
Flt/Lt (34142) Robert John Barrow Burns (pilot) RAF - OK

This airman rose to the senior ranks of the RAF in over thirty years of RAF service. Robert Burns was born on 26 January 1911 in South Africa. He received his commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on 16 March 1934 and was confirmed in the rank of P/O exactly a year later. After pilot training he was posted to 29 Squadron in March 1935 and later served with No.3 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Flight. He was promoted to F/O on 16 September 1936, Flt/Lt on 16th September 1938 and Squadron Leader (temp) on 1 June 1940. At the time of this incident in January 1941 he was either converting to flying the night-fighter or was one of the senior officers at 54 OTU.

In March 1941 he was posted to 96 Squadron as Commanding Officer. He was promoted to W/Co (temp) on 1st December 1941. On 22nd May 1941 he was forced to bale out of a Defiant over North Wales. 96 Squadron converted to Beaufighters in May 1942.

He was Mentioned in Despatches on 11th June 1942. His postings until the end of the War are not yet known. He was however promoted to Acting Group Captain on 28th July 1943 and Wing Commander (war subs) on 28th January 1944 and was again Mentioned in Despatches on 14th January 1944.

Post-War he remained in the RAF being granted the permanent rank of Squadron Leader on 25 February 1947 (with seniority back dated to 1st January 1941), and receiving promotions to W/Co on 1st July 1947 (with seniority to 1st October 1946), G/Cpt on 1st July 1952, Acting A/Cdre on 25th April 1958 and finally to A/Cdre on 1st July 1962. For his service he was awarded the OBE on 1st January 1946 and the CBE on 12th June 1958. He retired from the RAF on 26th January 1966 and died on 14th November 1993.

Defiant N1542 was built to contract 751809/38 by Boulton & Paul Aircraft Ltd. at Wolverhampton and was awaiting collection in June 1940 but was deemed surplus to requirements and placed into MU storage until 25th November 1940 when it was taken on charge by the newly formed 54 OTU at Church Fenton. On 16th January 1941 Cat.M/FB damage was recorded after the incident at Church Fenton as recorded above. It was repaired on site and continued to be used by 54 OTU until being transferred on or after 14th June 1941 to 9 AOS at Penrhos. On 1st May 1942 the unit was re-designated 9 OAFU and remained at Penrhos. Defiants were withdrawn from use with 9 OAFU in September 1942 and N1542 was transferred to 10 AGS at Barrow (Walney Island) where it was converted to a Target Tug. No further record of the aircraft exists after this date other than it was struck off charge on 14th November 1945.

1. Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part one
2. ORB 54 OTU RAF (Operations Record Book) for the period 1/3/1941 to 30/4/1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/682/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161027
3. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/n1542.html
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=L7023
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Air_Force_Operational_Training_Units
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Church_Fenton#Second_World_War
7. https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5a3134b40672a700015a5d31/5e6b8ac8fb50514cdc7321ca_NCATheEarly%20YearsPart1samplepages2.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Jan-2019 12:31	TigerTimon	Added