ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 66114
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| Date: | Wednesday 24 May 1961 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | Miles M.38 Messenger 4A |
| Owner/operator: | Finch & Knight Ltd |
| Registration: | G-ALAP |
| MSN: | RH368 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Barkisland, Calderdale, near Halifax, West Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Barkisland, near Halifax, West Yorkshire |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
U-0245 Miles M.38 Mk.II the first 'true' M.38 Messenger prototype, in that it was built as such from scratch by the Experimental Department of Miles Aircraft Ltd, at Liverpool Road, Reading, during late 1943/early 1944; fitted initially with a 150 hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III engine.
First flown, by Flt Lt Hugh V.Kennedy, 10.2.44; camouflaged in dark green and dark earth with yellow undersides and with the prototype 'P' marking on the fuselage, it was noted by Don Brown as 'an early production Messenger'. Flt Lt Kennedy flew U-0245 for the last time on 25.4.44, then, on 1.5.44, Wing Commander Russell with Flying Officer Trevor J Martin as second pilot made a local flight, and later on the same day Flying Officer Martin made a solo flight, both flights being presumably made from Woodley.
The first production aircraft was still some way from completion, so Miles Aircraft must either have been instructed to give this prototype aircraft to the RAF or took they it on themselves to lend it to them. Flying Officer Martin made further local flights in U-0245 on 13, 14, 15, 22 and 23.5.44 before leaving later that day with Flying Officer Ashdown for his detached base at Thorney Island; flights from there to Whitchurch, Bristol on 24th, a trial landing on 'a landing strip' also on 24th, to Northolt on 26th and 28th, a local flight on 29th and to 'a landing strip at Leatherhead, Surrey', HQ, 1st Canadian Army on 30.5.44 with Col.Warren.
U-0245 was the only Messenger to wear Invasion Stripes and these appear to have been partially deleted later. On 12.6.44, 'D' Day+6 Flying Officer Martin's log book reads; 'U-0245, self, one passenger, to landing strip 5 miles east of Bayeux, Northern France'. With a 1 hour flight from Thorney Island the Messenger had gone to war - in 'B' marks and Invasion Stripes...
This surely must rank as unique in the annals of British aircraft markings - a prototype 'company' aircraft in 'B' marks with Invasion Stripes, operating outside of the UK in a battlefield area whilst not being flown by a company pilot but by a serving RAF Officer to transport senior military personnel around in support of the Allied Invasion of the Continent of Europe!
At some stage a Union Jack with the 4 stars of a General below was painted on the central fin and on 13.6.44 Flying Officer Martin flew U-0245 to a "landing strip at 1st US Army HQ", with Captain Chavasse and Captain Dom Durante, a 30 min flight. On 24.6.44, Gen Bernard Montgomery made his first flight in a Messenger when he was taken to Creully and return from a new HQ site 4 miles west of Bayeux.
Flying Officer Martin's log book faithfully records U-0245's movements until on 15.7.44 this identity appears for the last time flying from B.4 Airfield, near Tailleville with General Montgomery and Captain Chavasse. Then on 16.7.44, serial number RH368 appears and Flight Lt Martin recalls that this serial was painted on by his ground crew.
The RAF record card for RH368 gives the date delivered to 2nd TAF Comms Squadron as 3.6.44 although it actually flew to Thorney Island on 23.5.44. The paint presumably followed later! The card also records the engine as a DH Gipsy Major 1D. On 6.7.44 a local flight with two passengers was carried out before flying via A.9 to Northolt (2 hrs) later, returning to a "base in France" (2.00 hrs) on 18.7.44. More flying followed with General
Montgomery and Lt.General Dempsey with trips to Northolt, via A.9. Then on 1.9.44, Flying Officer Martin flew RH368 to the Miles Aircraft factory at Woodley, Reading (2 hr 50 mins), returning to Thorney Island on 5.9.44. This was followed by a flight to a "landing strip south west of Amiens", via Thorney Island on 6.9.44. He delivered RH368 to Woodley, Reading from Amiens, via Dieppe (2 hr 40 mins) on 8.9.44 in exchange for RG333.
RH368 was flown by Flt Lt Kennedy on 20.9.44, 29.9.44, 1.10.44, and 27.10.44. When Don Brown flew it on 2.10.44 and 24.10.44 he recorded it as having a Cirrus Major, but on 5.12.44 he noted it to have a 140 hp Gypsy Major.
The record card then shows a delivery to 'P' Flight, RAE Farnborough on 8.12.44. On 5.1.45 RH368 was flown again by Flt Lt Kennedy and on 10.1.45 he delivered it to Heston, returning it to Woodley on 9.2.45. His last flight in RH368 was on 28.2.45 when he again delivered it to Heston. To No.51 MU RAF Lichfield 8.12.45 for storage and Struck off Charge when sold to W H Leadbetter 26.5.48.
Registered G-ALAP as a Messenger Mk.4A to T W Leadbetter, Four Oaks, Warwickshire 28.5.48 with C of R No. 12376/1. Registration Cancelled 28.8.48 and re-registered (C of R 12376/2) on 10.9.48 to W G Turnbull, Leicester. Cancelled 2.2.49 and re-registered (C of R 12376/3) on 9.2.49 to Porter Spiers (Leicester) Ltd, C of A No.10431 issued 25.5.50 and while being surveyed for this, at Desford, for the new owners its build details showed it to have been built in Northern Ireland in 1944!
Cancelled and re-registered (C of R R.1350/4) on 1.7.53 to L W Hudson, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Registration Cancelled 6.1.59 and re-registered (C of R 1350/5) on 21.1.59 to Finch & Knight Ltd., Waltham Abbey, Essex.
Written off (damaged beyond repair) when Hit a wall and crashed on take off from Barkisland gliding field near Halifax, West Yorkshire on 24.5.61. Airframe sustained "Extensive damage to starboard wing, undercarriage, tailplane, fuselage and engine. Registration G-ALAP cancelled 30.6.61 as PWFU "Permanently Withdrawn From Use"). Last entry on record card is "Gone Away 5.7.61".
Barkisland is a village in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is 1 mile east of Ripponden, 2 miles south of Sowerby Bridge and 4 miles south-west of Halifax town centre.
Sources:
1. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ALAP-1.pdf
2. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ALAP-2.pdf
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_2000.pdf
4. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1046222/
5. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Local-aviation-historian-details-county-aircraft/story-17166709-detail/story.html
6. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1012206/
7. http://www.gloster.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/archives/JM1.pdf
8. http://www.ukserials.com/losses_civil.htm
9. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwhitworth/5453200678/in/photolist-9iT5zm
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barkisland
Images:
Wolverhampton (Pendeford) Airfield, UK (closed) - 23rd June 1957
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Jul-2009 03:37 | VHKDK | Added |
| 12-Jun-2012 15:03 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 12-Jun-2012 15:07 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 20-Mar-2014 23:06 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 19-Feb-2020 15:18 | Peter Clarke | Updated [Photo] |
| 26-Sep-2022 20:45 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 26-Sep-2022 20:53 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 02-Oct-2022 18:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
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