On This Day in History – 9 April.

Tattenhall Local History recently received a request regarding a young pilot who had died in the Tattenhall area in the early 1940s. Whilst researching, it would seem that at least two pilots were lost in our area during 1940 and 1941.

On this Day in History, 9 April 1941, a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, Sgt Robert Burton (Service Number R/60228) flying a Supermarine Spitfire Mk 1, (Aircraft Registration N3250), crash landed in a field near Tattenhall. His Spitfire appears to have suffered engine failure due to oil starvation.

Aged 19, Sgt Robert Burton was from Alberta, Canada and had joined the RCAF on 22 June 1940 at Calgary. He is buried in Hawarden Churchyard. It is likely that he was based at Hawarden which was an important training ground for Spitfire pilots.

Just months earlier on 13 September 1940, another young pilot aged just 20 was also killed in our locality; he too was flying a Supermarine Spitfire Mk1 (Aircraft Registration X4159). Records confirm that the crash site was Broxton, just a couple of miles from the village.

Sgt Dermot David Samuel Edgar (Service Number 741642) was under training with the RAF Volunteer Reserve. He had taken off from RAF Hawarden at 14.55 hrs. He was accompanied by another Spitfire. Both aircraft began a dive from 11,000ft. Sgt Edgar failed to respond, disappearing into the clouds at 10,000ft. Structural failure occurred at low altitude below cloud, and the aircraft dived into the ground. It is suspected that oxygen failure occurred.

Sgt Edgar was buried in his home area in Bushey.

Our image of the Spitfire illustrates the type flown by both Sgt Edgar and Sgt Burton.
We also include images of Sgt Burton (left) and Sgt Edgar (right).
If anyone has further information relating to the exact locations of the crash sites then please contact terri9hull@gmail.com.

Many thanks.

WeLoveTattenhall