Bromet Crash (3)

David McMonnies was granted a short service commission in the RAF as Acting Pilot Officer on probation on 9th August 1937. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 24th November 1939, Flight Lieutenant on 24th November 1941, Squadron Leader (temp) on 1st December 1941 and Squadron Leader (war subs) on 25th November 1943. As Acting Wing Commander he commanded 296 Squadron from 26th August 1943 to 12th September 1944 during the Normandy parachute dropping flights. Techically from 24th May 1941 (but dated to 7th April 1944) he transferred from the RAF to The Reserve (RAFO) but was called up for immediate service, under the terms of his short service commission which lasted just five years. Having survived the War he was appointed to a permanent commision as Squadron Leader on 1st July 1946 (with seniority of 1st January 1945), he was promoted to Wing Commander on 1st July 1950. He retired with the same rank on 8th March 1959. At the time of this accident at Scarborough he had a total of 277 hours flying time, with 181 hours on the Hawker Hart type. He probably died in the Petersfield area of Hampshire in 1988.


Hart K2455 was built to contract 117876/31 by Vickers Ltd at Weybridge and was delivered directly to 33 Squadron at Bicester on 18th March 1932. It was returned to Vickers at Weybridge on 27th September 1932 but it is not known why. It may well be that the modification to carry a passenger required the aircraft to be fitted with an enclosed canopy over the rear seat. It was next issued to 24 Squadron at Northolt on 28th January 1933 and moved with the unit to Hendon on 9th July 1933. It sustained Cat.W/FA at Scarborough and the wreckage was taken to on by the Station Flight at Driffield for assessment where it was deemed beyond repair and struck off charge on 9th October 1938 with total flying hours of 590 hours, 40 minutes. The crash site was probably in the area which is still the ornamental garden shown in this photograph.



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