On Sunday, 13th February 1949 this Spitfire crashed on moorland north of Commondale while the pilot was carrying out a training flight with 608 Squadron, he took off from Thornaby at 14.41hrs and to begin his first solo flight in the Spitfire. At the time of the accident he was undertaking what was recorded as being unauthorized low flying and aerobatics. One of the wing tips hit the ground during a roll and the aircraft dived into the ground killing the pilot. One can only imagine the pilot's possible excitment in being able to fly one of the World's most famous aircraft of its day. He had no doubt grown up with the knowledge of their reputation and I can only guess that the moment of finally being able to fly one solo went to his head, with tragic results.
Spitfire PK617 was built to contract B981687/39 by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd at Castle Bromwich and delivered to 39 MU at Colerne on 27th January 1945 where it remained in storage for two years. It moved to Vickers Armstrongs factory at South Marston for modifications on 20th January 1947 and was issued to 608 Squadron at Thornaby on 9th July 1948. It sustained Cat.E2/FA damage in the incident detailed above and was written off as a result.
Pilot - P/O Kenneth Roland Jeffrey RAF(Aux) (2686064), aged 24, of Linthorpe, Middlesbrough. Cremated Darlington, Co.Durham.
Kenneth Jeffery was born on 6th October 1924 at Easington, Co.Durham and was the son of Kenneth R and (nee Wildridge) Jeffrey. He appears to had served with the RAF during the War, enlisting in 1943. On 19th November 1946 he had a lucky escape in his training with 9 ANS when Anson MG902 which he was in made a forced landing in the Shannan River, Limerick, Ireland. He was to join 608 Squadron in 1947; his loss was to be the first mishap the unit had suffered in the Post War period. His rank is quoted as being either P/O or P2, the RAF made a brief change to the ranking system which was not popular and was scrapped soon after.
I first visited the area of the crash in March 2003, the majority of remaining wreckage is in a depression on the moor and scattered around I found a number of other pieces including a sizeable piece of the cockpit canopy hidden in the heather. I have since visited the site a number of times, the last being in July 2014.
Me with half of the cockpit canopy back in 2003 and re-photographed in 2014.
Two complete part numbers found on a small pieces of wreckage at the crash site. The number above shows the item is part of an engine cowling.
The Rolls-Royce Griffon engine must have been broken in the crash as these are a number of pieces of the engine casing still at the site.
The five bladed propeller boss was in Ken Ward's collection at his farm in Bilsdale in 2010, presumably recovered many many years ago.