De HAVILLAND MOTH DH60G - G-ABRD - AT KNITSLEY

Lieutenant Colonel Hereward Sprot was a distinguished former soldier who retired and became a partner in the family business, Sir S A Sadler Ltd, which was a coal company who operated several mines between Consett and Bishop Auckland.  This company held the mines right up until nationalisation of the coal industry in 1947. Hereward Sprot was also a licensed pilot. 

His younger son, Samuel Edward Sprot, known as Ted, was a Pilot Officer in 607 Squadron RAF; he was gazetted as such on 29^th August 1934.  He gained his pilot’s licence, No 10445, on 6^th May 1932.  He was just 22 years old when he died. 

His older brother, Alexander Sprot, was a licensed civil pilot and a mining engineer who worked for the family company.  The original family name was Sadler but was changed by Deed Poll on 17^th January 1931.  This was done for inheritance purposes after the death of Hereward Sadler’s mother in law in a car accident – she had only daughters – on New Years Eve 1930.  Her husband, Sir Alexander Sprot MP had collapsed in the House of Commons on 4^th February 1929 and died four days later.

The total inheritance was £6,658.00 which wouldn’t buy you a new car today.  However, that much money, in 1931, was worth just under £320,000.00 in terms of today’s spending power!

According to local reports, and the Operational Record Book of 607 Squadron, on the evening of 24^th April 1935, they were flying on a civilian De Havilland Moth DH60G G-ABRD out of Cramlington (Newcastle Airport at the time), piloted by Alexander.  He made a low pass over Woodlands Hall at Knitsley, Consett, Co Durham to wave at their father and sister in the grounds below.  The aircraft stalled during a low pass over the grounds and Alexander lost control and crashed killing his brother and badly injuring himself.

The distressed family moved on to Colepike Hall at Hollinside near Lanchester and later to St John’s Hall, Wolsingham – both in County Durham.

The remnants of the aircraft were kept and it was eventually rebuilt and was subsequently purchased by Brooklands Flying Club and operated by its subsidiary, the South Coast Aero Club at Shoreham, Sussex until 23^rd June 1940 when it was impressed for war service in the RAF.  It went first to 46 MU (Maintenance Unit) at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland.  It then went to 8 RAF Gunnery School, as a target tug, at RAF Evanton, Easter Ross, Scotland on 14^th May 1941.  The only reference after that is “Probably written-off in accident” on 11^th August 1942.  During its military career it was re-registered as AW134.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a photograph of this aircraft.