Date:	Saturday 19 April 1941
Time:	23:45
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	54 OTU RAF
Registration:	L6973
MSN:	24
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	100 yards E of Grange Farm, Little Fenton, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire

Narrative:
Defiant L6973 was built to contract 622849/37 by Boulton & Paul Ltd. at Wolverhampton and was awaiting collection in October 1939. After a short period of MU storage it was taken on charge by 264 Squadron as "PS-A" at Martlesham Heath in December 1939 when the unit reformed after a twenty year period of absence from the RAF. On 10th May 1940 it moved with the unit to Duxford and 264 Squadron saw action on 13th May 1940 when six of the squadron's aircraft were lost or damaged over Belgium. On 28th May 1940 they again suffered four aircraft lost or damaged over Dunkirk flying out of Manston and on 31st May 1940 a further six aircraft were lost or damaged over Dunkirk. In all cases L6973 came through unscathed.

On 23rd July 1940 it moved with the unit to Kirton-in-Lindsey, then on 22nd August 1940 it moved with the unit to Hornchurch and on 27th August 1940 it moved with the unit to Rochford. During the Battle of Britain it came through unscathed despite the events of on 24th August 1940, when 264 Squadron suffered seven aircraft lost or damaged in combat in the Hornchurch area, a further four aircraft were lost or damaged on 26th August 1940 and on 28th August 1940 a further six aircraft were lost or damaged in what turned out to be the last daylight operation flown by the type. After losing 17 Defiants in combat in the space of four days, 264 Squadron were withdrawn the same day, moving to Kirton-in-Lindsey. In October 1940, L6973 was placed into MU storage but on 25th November 1940 it was taken on charge by the newly formed 54 OTU at RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire.

Defiant L6973: Took off for a Night Training flight, 19 April 1941. It flew into the ground at 23:45 hrs 100 yards east of Grange Farm, Little Fenton Lane, Little Fenton, North Yorkshire, just off the airfield, while returning to base. It broke up on impact and one of the crew was killed. The air gunner was seriously injured and he sadly died two days later.
Crew:
Sgt (P/780493) Josef MURZYN (pilot) Polish AF - survived with serious injuries.
Sgt (P/780711) Erwin SZKANDERA (Air Gunner) Polish AF- Died of injuries 21 April 1941. Buried at Clifford (St. Edwards) Roman Catholic Churchyard, Yorkshire

Pilot Jozef Murzyn later recovered from his injuries and would later serve with 307 Squadron and 316 Squadrons. He was possibly from Prokocim, Poland.

In 2005 a team of aviation archeologists excavated the crash site, and recovered fragments of a Defiant, although there was not enough recovered to 100% confirm the identity of the aircraft. The remains recovered were 'probably' Defiant L6973 - but another Defiant (N1573) is also known to have crashed in the same area

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 48)
2. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/l6973.html
3. 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
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/7504396/erwin-szkandera/
5. https://listakrzystka.pl/en/szkandera-erwin-marian/
6. https://niebieskaeskadra-pl.translate.goog/m/?control=8&id=3045&title=erwin-szkandera&_x_tr_sl=pl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
7. https://www-polishairforce-pl.translate.goog/cmentarzeraf/clifford.html?_x_tr_sl=pl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
8. https://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?s=2650&q=&qand=PAF&exc1=&exc2=&search_type=exact&search_only=
9. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=L6973

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Jul-2022 18:45	Dr. John Smith	Added
03-Jul-2022 22:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
04-Jul-2022 21:41	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]