Date:	Thursday 4 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Avro Anson Mk X
Owner/operator:	47 MU RAF
Registration:	NK442
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Bassenthwaite Police Station, Bassenthwaite, Cumberland, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	RAF Silloth, Cumberland
Destination airport:	RAF Sealand, Cheshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Avro Anson Mk. X NK442 of 47 MU RAF Sealand: During the afternoon of 4th April 1946 this aircraft is believed to have been flying from an airfield near Carlisle to Sealand, Chester. Not long after taking off the aircraft flew into bad weather and with visibility reduced the pilot attempted a forced landing near Bassethwaite village. On landing the aircraft struck a hedge and came to rest near Bassethwaite police station badly damaged. The pilot was uninjured and continued his journey to Sealand by train later in the day. The aircraft had been in storage at Silloth airfield (with 22 MU RAF) and was being flown to Sealand airfield for further storage by 47 MU at the time of this forced landing.

Note that most sources (see links #1, #2 & #3) give the crash location as "at the base of Skiddaw, Westmorland". However, Bassenthwaite is at the foot of Skiddaw, one of the highest mountains in England the peak of which is at 3,054 feet (931 metres) some five miles to the south east.

Crew of Anson NK442:
Flt/Lt (159062) Reginald Ernest Tickner (Pilot) RAFVR - uninjured

Reginald Tickner was born on August 1922. Before receiving his commission, he flew Hurricanes with 32 Squadron in England and North Africa in 1942. The Imperial War Museum hold camera footage dated 19th August 1942 of him flying a Hurricane with 32 Squadron attacking targets at Dieppe. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 9th October 1943 and rose to F/O (was substantive) on 9th April 1944. In 1944 he served with 122 Squadron flying Mustangs and again the Imperial War Museum hold more camera footage dated 15th July 1944 of him attacking a Junkers Ju88 and on 12th August 1944 shooting at ground targets.

He was soon posted to 65 Squadron as there is further footage of him flying a Mustang on 17th September 1944 attacking ground targets. All these 1944 operations were in support of the D-Day advance. He was promoted to F/Lt (war substantive) on 9th October 1945.

Post-War he remained in the RAFVR and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant (substantive) on 6th June 1947 (with seniority from 9th April 1947). He is recorded as serving as a pilot around the time of this landing at Bassenthwaite serving at an MU and carrying out test and ferry duties.

He was then appointed to a permanent commission in the RAF as Flight Lieutenant on 1st October 1951 and served as a test pilot at Farnborough from 1952 to 1955. He was then posted to command 605 Squadron in November 1955 until 31st March 1957 when it was disbanded. He was later promoted to Squadron Leader on 1st July 1955. On 2nd January 1956 he was one of a number of officers given the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. He was promoted to Wing Commander on 1st January 1969 and retired from the RAF on 29th August 1977. He died in July 1990.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.37 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. The Anson File (Ray Sturtivant, Air Britain, 1988 p.119)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946-1949 by Colin Cummings p.118
4. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/lakes/nk442.html
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skiddaw
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassenthwaite

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Sep-2020 18:12	Dr. John Smith	Added
09-Sep-2020 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
03-Jul-2023 17:38	Nepa	Updated [[Source, Narrative]]
03-Jul-2023 21:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Source, Narrative]]]