Date:	Saturday 15 September 1934
Time:	day
Type:	Blackburn T.8 Baffin Mk I
Owner/operator:	810 Sqn FAA RAF
Registration:	K4080
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Breconside Farm, Boarhills, near St. Andrews, Fife -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife
Destination airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Blackburn Baffin K4080, 810 Squadron, FAA RN: Coded "09". Flew into ground in fog & Destroyed By Fire 15 September 1934 at Breconside Farm, Boar Hill, near St. Andrews, Fife. According to a contemporary newspaper report ("The Times, Monday, Sep 17, 1934; pg. 14; Issue 46861; col C):

"Aeroplane of Fire
Lieutenant Cardew RN and Leading Telegraphist J.B Taylor had a remarkable escape when on Saturday their machine struck a low wall and burst into flames as they were making a forced landing in dense fog in a field near St. Andrews. They were able to jump clear, and practically uninjured.

The machine, a Baffin torpedo bomber, belonging to the aircraft carrier Courageous, now at Rosyth was flying in a dense fog over the sea, In an endeavour to get his bearings the pilot came over the land, and while he was making a forced landing in a turnip field, the undercarriage of the machine struck a low wall. The machine burst into flames, and before the St. Andrews Fire Brigade could extinguish them was seriously damaged"

This day was first day of 810 Squadron's stay at RAF Leuchars after a period of service aboard HMS Courageous. Baffin K4080 deemed "destroyed" and Struck Off Charge 29 September 1934.

810 Squadron was assigned to the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous in May 1933 and formed part of the Home Fleet. In September that year the Darts were replaced by Blackburn Ripons, and these were in turn replaced by Blackburn Baffins in July 1934, with the entire squadron operating Baffins by November that year. The Abyssinian crisis caused Courageous and the squadron to be transferred to the Mediterranean from August 1935 to February 1936.

Boarhills is a hamlet close to Kingsbarns in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. It is located off the A917 road, 4+1⁄2 miles (7 km) from St Andrews and 5+1⁄2 miles (9 km) from Crail, close to the mouth of Kenly Water with the North Sea.

1. The K File The RAF of the 1930s (James J Halley, Air Britain 1995 p,123)
2. Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
3. "The Times", Monday, Sep 17, 1934; pg. 14
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?2312-Blackburn-Baffin-K4080
5. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_IOM_Scotland_and_NI.pdf
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_Baffin
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/810_Naval_Air_Squadron#Pre_war
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boarhills

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Feb-2008 23:29	JINX	Added
21-Jan-2012 04:16	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
02-Aug-2013 13:48	JINX	Updated [Operator, Source]
04-Aug-2013 10:02	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
04-Aug-2013 21:14	JINX	Updated [Operator]
18-Jan-2016 17:51	JIXN	Updated [Operator]
13-Jan-2021 16:00	Castleace	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]