On the morning of 11th November 1941 the pilot of this 92 Squadron aircraft took off from Digby airfield to undertake a local flying exercise. The weather appears to have been poor. The pilot then became lost soon after taking off but remained in radio communication with his base. Why the aircraft then got so far away from the home airfield in Lincolnshire is not known. After just over two hours in the air he received a message telling him to land at the nearest aerodrome but five minutes later he force landed, with the wheels up, in a field and the aircraft overturned. The location was in the region of Ox Pasture Farm, on the south side of the A66 road and roughly midway between Bowes and Brignall. Unfortunately the pilot sustained serious injuries and was taken to Bishop Auckland hospital for treatment. The aircraft was later repaired.
Pilot - Sgt Ralph Joffre Kennedy RNZAF (NZ.405284). Seriously injured.
Ralph Kennedy was born on 16th January 1916. He would fly in North Africa during the war and was Mentioned in Despatches on 17th September 1943. He died on 30th July 1995 in New Zealand.
Spitfire AA753 was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Eastleigh and was first test flown on 30th September 1941. It was taken on charge by 92 Squadron at Digby on 6th October 1941 and as a result of the mishap on 11th November 1941 near Barningham Cat.B/FA damage was recorded. It must have spent some time on the site because it took until 8th January 1942 for it to be dismantled and transported by road to AST Ltd, at Hamble for repair. The delay may have been down to the weather.
On 2nd June 1942 after repair was complete it was taken on charge by 403 Squadron at Rochford, then moved with the unit to Martlesham Heath on 3rd June 1942 and sixteen days later
with the unit to Catterick.
On 22nd August 1942 it transferred to the 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, USAAF and was initially based at Eglinton and it moved with this unit to Goxhill on 26th
August 1942. On 8th November 1942 it then moved overseas with this unit to Tafaraoui, Algeria then with the unit six days later to Le Senia, Algeria. On 1st January
1943 it moved with the unit to Orleansville, Algeria then on 19th January 1943 and again with the unit to Telergma, Algeria on 8th March 1943, with the unit to Youks le
Bains, Algeria and on 12th April 1943 with the unit to Le Sers, Tunisia. In mid-1943 it was sent back to the UK and on 2nd June 1943 it arrived at Vickers Armstrong's Ltd,
South Marston for fuel system modifications and wing stiffening. On 2nd September 1943 this modification was complete and it was taken on charge by 402 Squadron at Kenley and moved
with the unit back to Digby on 19th September 1943. On 26th November 1943 it was reported as having sustained Cat.A(c)/FA damage but was repaired on site. On 19th December
1943 it moved with the unit to Ayr then on 2nd January 1944 it moved with the unit back to Digby and on 12th February 1944 with the unit to Wellingore. On 16th February
1944 it transferred to 129 Squadron at Peterhead and on 16th March 1944 it moved with this unit to Heston, on 30th March 1944 with this unit to Llanbedr, on 6th April 1944
with the unit to Coolham and on 22nd June 1944 with this unit to Holmsley South. On 10th July 1944 it was flown to De Havilland Ltd, at Hatfield for unknown reasons. On 30th
November 1944 it was allocated to 1687 Flight (BDTF) at Ingham but flown to Reid & Sigrist Ltd., at Desford for refurbishment in preparation for sale. On 18th April 1947 it became
one of 60 Spitfires purchased by the Portuguese Air Force and after this sale nothing more is known of the aircraft. My thanks to Graham Sharpe for this lengthy aircraft history.
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