This Spitfire flew into high ground on Arden Great Moor at high speed in bad visibility on 16th September 1945 after the aircraft had just taken part in the Battle of Britain
display at RAF Acklington and while the pilot was returning to base at RAF Manston in Kent. While a full account of the crash has not been found it is believed that the aircraft 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 it remained undiscovered for a few days
possibly until the 21st September 1945. The aircraft's 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 pieces 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 tired of investigating it so asked for it to be cleared.
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, with Cat.E2/FA(Burnt) damage being recorded.
Pilot - F/Lt John Burleigh Compton Catterns RAF (144938), aged 22, of Westminster, London. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
F/Lt Catterns gravestone at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery. His life is still being researched, if anyone can add anything I would love to hear it. John Catterns was the son of Basil Gage and
Evelyn Nancy (nee Dodd) Catterns. His father would become the 19th Chief Cashier of the Bank of England. John Catterns received a commission to the rank of 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. He was a holder of the French Cross de Guerre. The units he flew with pre-1945 are
not yet known but by January 1945 he was serving with 168 Sqaudron and in the months before his death was posted to 567 Squadron.
His father, Basil Gage Catterns' 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 on 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 Spitfire wreckage in the 1970's, with Mr Chris Hattersley (seated) and Mr Alastair McFarlane (with hat). I thank both gentlemen for contacting me.
Mr Chris Hattersley and Mr Alastair McFarlane hold up a large wing section prior to the site being cleared around 1972.
The complete tail section was left at the crash site for many years.
I first visited the area in Febraury 2003. Almost all of sign of this incident had gone, the depression that once contained the wreckage has long since grassed over but a
small amount of wreckage was found covered by grass in the bottom.
