Usworth Aerodrome

War Diary

D325 Tues 23rd July 1940 a gladiator from 247 squadron based at Roborough near Barnstable was damaged at Usworth airfield, Durham while on a transit flight back to base. FO T W Gillen was unhurt, the aircraft was repairable

D378 sat 14th sept 1940 a hurricane from 43 squadron based at Usworth airfield in Durham got caught in his leaders slipstream and mad a heavy landing at base. Pilot officer C K Gray was unable to correct fully owing to arm injuries sustained on 26th Aug 1940. The aircraft was damaged but repairable. The arm injuries referred to were inflicted during combat over Portsmouth, when the squadron was based at Tangmere. PPO Gray was hit in the right arm and had to bail out.

D389 wed 25th sept 1940 A hurricane from 43 squadron based at usworth airfield in durham, landed wheels up at hetton le hole following engine failure due to the mishandling of a fuel cock. PO c e Langdon was unhurt, the aircraft was damaged but repairable.

N396 wed 2nd/3rd Oct 1940 Usworth airfield attacked.

N418 Thur 24th/25th oct 1940 A hurricane from 43 squadron based at Usworth, trying to land at base at dusk made six attempts to land cross-wind, finally stalled at 250ft and crashed at 19.25. The 21 year old pilot Sergeant D R Stoodley was killed and his plane a write-off.

D421 sun 27th Oct 1940 a hurricane from no 43 squadron based at Usworth crashed vertically from height during high altitude aerobatics, the cause unknown but believed to be through oxygen failure. The aircraft crashed at Congburn dean, Edmondsley at 10.25 the 21 year old pilot sergeant L V Toogood was killed.

D425 Thurs 31st Oct 1940 a hurricane from 43 squadron based at Usworth force landed at Chrinside Berwick due to engine failure at 10:30. The pilot sergeant B Malinowski unhurt the aircraft damaged but repairable

D436 mon 11th nov 1940 a no 610 squadron spitfire p9451 crashed landing at Usworth PO Hadland safe, aircraft damaged.

D451 Tue 26th Nov 1940 a no 43 squadron hurricane p3527 belly landed near Usworth Sgt Siermer safe, aircraft damaged.

D475 Fri 20th Dec 1940 a no 607 squadron hurricane p3962 crashed on landing at Usworth PO Sgt Sinclair aircraft destroyed.

12th Aug 1941 55 OTU Formation Training Hurricane crash, Zygmunt Hohne - Polish Air Force

12th Aug 1941 55 OTU Formation Training Hurricane crash, Stanislaw Karubin - Polish Air Force

D852 Thurs 1st Jan 1942 whilst on a dog-fight exercise Sgt Ronald Graham White Carter of 55 OTU based at Usworth crashed his Hawker Hurricane mk1 (v7400) into a field west of Castle Eden. Sgt carter aged 24 service no 655269 was buried at Hylton Castle cemetery Castletown.

D892 Tues 10th Feb 1942 a Hawker Hurricane of 55 OTU based at Usworth flew into the ground at high Marley hill. The pilot Sgt J Graham of the royal Canadian air force was killed.

N956 wed 15th/16th April 1942 00.37 Two hes dropped near RAF usworth

E40 april 1942 a large bee-hive hanger at usworth airfield was hit by an overshooting hurricane injuring the pilot.