The Spitfire flew into the ground on Arden Great Moor at high speed in bad visibility
on the 16th of September 1945. The aircraft had just taken part in the Battle of Britain
display at RAF Acklington and the pilot was returning to base at RAF Manston in Kent.
Whilst a full account of the crash has not been ascertained he either flew into the north-sloping hilltop
whilst flying south from the display, or there is a suggestion that
he had taken off from RAF Dishforth (after landing there to re-fuel) and flew in a NNE direction
with the North Yorkshire Moors directly in his
path and crashed on the south facing slope. Either way, because of low cloud over the Moors he
flew straight into the side of Black Hambleton
and was killed instantly. The aircraft was destroyed in the crash and it is thought that the it remained undiscovered for a few days
possibly until the 21st September 1945. The aircrafts remains were, in the main, not recovered but were collected
together into an old small mine working, and they lay for many years with larger peices of the aircraft still
easily identifiable. In the 1970's the scrap
man sadly got to it; the site was constantly being re-reported as a crashed aircraft
and the authorities apparently became sick of investigating it.
Spitfire SM278 was built to contract B981687/39 by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd at Castle Bromwich and delivered to 33 MU at
Lyneham on
28th October 1944. After acceptance it was issued to 453 Squadron RAAF on 10th November 1944 at Coltishall. 453 Squadron
disbanded on 31st May 1945 and the aircraft was
held in storage until issued to 183 Squadron at Chilbolton on 21st June 1945. It's stay with 183 Squadron was short and it was
transferred to 567 Squadron at Hawkinge on 5th July 1945. The unit moved to Manston on 21st August 1945.
It was destroyed in the crash detailed above, suffering Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage being recorded.
Pilot - F/Lt John B C Catterns RAF (144938), aged 22, of Westminster, London. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
F/Lt Catterns headstone at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery. He was a holder of the French Cross de Guerre and his flying career is still being
researched, if anyone can add anything I would love to hear it. John Catterns was the son of Basil Gage Catterns, who was was the
19th Chief Cashier of the Bank of England.
John Catterns was commissioned to P/O on probation (emergency) on 27th May 1943, rising to F/O on probation on 27th November 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 27th May 1943.
Who he flew with pre-1945 is not yet known but by January 1945 he was serving with 168 Sqaudron, in the months
before his death was posted to 567 Squadron.
His father's life is documented on other websites. He was born in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire on 20th June 1886; his Father was the Rev.
T E S Catterns. He was educated at Trent College, Nottingham and later spent five years with Manchester & Liverpool Banking Company,
later The District Bank at Accrington. He joined the Bank of England on 13th February 1908. Basil Catterns served as a Second Lieutenant
in the Royal Field Artillery being severely wounded in the legs in 1917. In 1920 took his post in the Chief Cashier's office becoming
Assistant Chief Cashier in 1923, in April 1925 rising to be Deputy Chief Cashier and took over office as Chief Cashier in the 27th March 1929.
He held the office until being appointed an Executive Director on 17th April 1934. In March 1936 he succeeded Sir Ernest Harvey as
Deputy Governor until he retired in 1945 though he served as a non-executive Director for 2 more years. He died on the 5th February 1969 aged 93.
The wreckage in the 1970's, with Mr Chris Hattersley (seated) and Mr Alastair McFarlane (with hat).
The majority of the wreckage in one of the pits. (photo Mr Graham Sharpe, via David Earl) and the same pit in February 2003.
Part of a wing of the Spitfire with the lettering "SM" visable. (photo Mr Graham Sharpe, via David Earl)
The photographs of the crash site shown above were taken in the early 1970's.
I first visited the area in Febraury 2003 with John Skinn. Almost all of the
wreckage has now gone from the site and the ground has now grassed over but a small amount of alloy was found covered by grass
in the bottom of the hole shown above.
