Ozplane, I was also a regular at the airport , I lived in Layton but later my school moved(Palatine) and I could cycle down each lunchtime. I recall the senior spotter was Clive Hodgson a teacher from Kirkham school. He had logbooks going back to when Warton was B.A.D in WW2. I recall the yearly chore when a new issue of Civil Aircraft Markings came out, transferring all the underlined aircraft which you had logged. In Clives case he would just underline a few on each page, they were the ones he was waiting to log !

A bit more history with a pic of a Rapide and the tower
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/lancashire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8271000/8271142.stm

early pleasure flights Blackpool

There where also a number of Dragon Rapides in use. I recall that at the tramway terminus called Starr Gate about a mile from the airport was a small booth where you could book flights. Dozens of large monochrome photos were plastered all over the booth showing airviews of the tower but mostly of the aircraft .Oddly this was still the case in about 1968 and the biplanes were still shown even tho the flights were then using Tripacers, and Cherokees. Another oddity was the Aermacchi AL60
Heres a page which lists the ANT fleet in the sixties
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1965/1965%20-%202123.html
And here is the aircraft with its fate listed
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1095363/

And finally proof of my distant memory , there certainly were four engined biplanes among the pictures at that booth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1186016/

In a similiar way the club at Feshiebridge have rescued a glider from being scrapped
BGA.1364/BZL T51 Stored hanging from hangar roof

I enjoy the crime dramas set during WW2, they have at times involved the RAF. It is a fact that crime was at an all time high in Britain during and just after WW2. So real events could be woven into a film and then you might end up with a Kellys Heroes of the air.

The theft of a collecting tin is not good news, however what is far worse in its impact is the theft from a person often with menaces. Or an assault of any kind. Money can be replaced but the physical and emotional impact of an in person crime is far reaching and long lived.

Sadly the state has always placed a higher degree of punishment for theft of valued property especially cash and metals such as gold. As the recent BBC tV programme showed the punishment for violence is far lower than it should be.

I recall the Drover fuselage in use as an office inside the Air Navigation and trading hanger at Blackpool. I wonder if it ever was used for pleasure flights around the tower?

Before this thread gets out of control I have the result of a bit more googling.
The best place to get full details on this crash will be the Yorkshire air museum at Elvington. I have uncovered zero evidence of the crew being killed by French aircrew.
This link adds new detail to the crash cause..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/purplepatch/articles/shiela_baxter/index.shtml