Operation: Training

Date: 01st November 1938 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 206 Squadron (Coastal Command)

Type: Avro Anson I

Serial: K8836

Code: Not known

Base: RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk

Location: North Sea off Flamborough Head

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Patrick Jonathan Kenyon Pike RAF Age 24. Missing - believed killed

Obs: P/O. Matthew Angus Scott RAF Age ? Missing - believed killed

Px: AC.1 Reginald William Stanley Rae 519603 RAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed

Px: AC.2 Derek Alexander Wilson 549443 RAF Age ? Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Bircham Newton in Norfolk on a night sea navigation exercise.

Communications were lost and assumed to be lost in the North Sea, possibly as a result of a lightning strike. The Times reported that 11 aircraft took off at dawn on the 03rd November on a search for the crew and aircraft. RAF Speed launches went out at midnight on the night of the loss, returned at daybreak to refuel, then went straight out again on the search. A further search was conducted overland during the afternoon and a further group of aircraft went out later on another sea search.

Information from the Met Office, National Meteorological Archive: "The likely weather conditions in the North Sea on the night of 1/2nd November 1938: The country was covered by quite a strong, unstable, showery, westerly airflow. Some of the showers were quite heavy, even with hail and thunder in a few places - one such storm was reported from Catterick on the afternoon of the 1st. Therefore I conclude that it would have been possible for an isolated thunderstorm to be in the North Sea off Flamborough Head."

Avro Anson I: Length: 12.88 m. Wingspan: 17.22 m. Max speed: 188 mph. Range: 790 miles. Powered by Two x Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial engines.

Burial details:

None - lost at sea. Further details sought - perhaps you are a relative of one of the crew and are able to contribute?

Fl/Lt. Patrick Jonathan Kenyon Pike. Son of Frank and Daphne Pike of Glendarary, Achill, Eire. Fl/Lt. Pike won the Kings Medal for the highest marks gained in all subjects after passing out at RAF Cranwell. Also won the Thomas Berridge Cup for his Squadron whilst at Cranwell.

P/O. Matthew Angus Scott. Believed to be from Yorkshire.

AC.1 Reginald William Stanley Rae. Believed to be from Northamptonshire.

AC.2 Derek Alexander Wilson. Believed to be from Lancashire.

Researched by Graham Bedwell for Aircrew Remembered November 2016. Public Records Office at the National Archives for additional information. Newspaper cuttings courtesy British Newspaper Archive. With thanks to Kate Tame of Aircrew Remembered for additional information.

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