Date:	Monday 19 May 1941
Time:	03:20 LT
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	54 OTU RAF
Registration:	N1653
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Selby Common, 4 miles SW of RAF Church Fenton, West Yorkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I N1653, 54 OTU RAF Church Fenton, West Yorkshire: At 03.20 hrs local time on 19 May 1941, this 54 OTU aircraft crashed on or close to Selby Common, after the pilot lost control soon after taking off from Church Fenton airfield. It was thought that the pilot had become disorientated after taking off, and the aircraft dived into the ground. The location given in the pilot's casualty file states that it occurred around four miles south-west of the airfield. This puts it roughly in an area named Selby Common around a mile north of Thorpe Willoughby.

Crew:
Sgt (1251122) Harold Albert Rodney McBIRNEY (Pilot) RAFVR aged 20, of Dublin, Irish Republic. Killed on active service 19 May 1941, Buried Mount Jerome Cemetery, Harold's Cross, Dublin, Eire

Defiant N1653 was built to contract 751807/38 by Boulton & Paul Ltd. at Wolverhampton and was awaiting collection in August 1940. It was taken on charge by 264 Squadron in September 1940 and based at Kirton in Lindsey as a replacement for the several aircraft lost on the disastrous day of 28 August 1940. On or around 28 November 1940 it passed into the hands of the newly formed 54 OTU at Church Fenton. As a result of the damage sustained on 19th May 1941 Cat. E2/FA Burnt damage was recorded on the paperwork.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p 9)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/6522: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16755819
3. ORB 54 OTU RAF for May 1941: National Archives (PRO Kew)
4. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2701560/harold-albert-rodney-mcbirney/
5. https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/n1653.html
6. https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/defiant/defiant-n1653/
7. https://aircrewremembered.com/AircrewDeaths39-47/?q=McBirney%2C+Harold+Albert&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
8. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_Northern_England.pdf

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