On 4th October 1942 this aircraft from 63 Squadron was undertaking an army co-operation exercise on the training grounds above Richmond with No.11 Tank Brigade based near Catterick. 63 Squadron were providing air support for a tank and troop exercise and as part of the exercise it involved the Mustangs flying a simulated straffing attack of positions. During one of the mock attacks Mustang AM168 was put into a vertical climb and was seen to disappear into cloud. The aircraft was then seen in a steep spin from which the pilot did not recover from. The aircraft struck the ground at 11.15hrs in the Preston Moor area, between Grinton and Castle Bolton. It was thought that the pilot may have blacked out as a result of the steep climb.
Mustang AM168 was built to British Purchasing Corporation Contract A1493 by The North American Aircraft company, at Inglewood, Dallas and was shipped to the UK. It arrived in the UK in June 1942 and following assembly and testing at A.A.U. at Speke it was taken on charge by 63 Squadron at Catterick. As a result of the crash on 4th October 1942 the aircraft was destroyed with Cat.E2/FA damage being recorded on the paperwork.
Pilot - S/Ldr Robert Gray RAF (72081). Aged 27. Buried Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Robert Gray was born on 10th January 1915 at West Maling, Kent. He was granted a permanent commission in the RAF Reserve on 21st October 1939 (with seniority back dated to 21st January 1938) but relinquished this commission on appointment to the RAF on the same date and was granted the rank of P/O on probation. He was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 31st October 1940, rising to F/O on an unknown date in 1940 and then to F/Lt on 21st April 1941 (seniority back dated to 21st July 1940) and S/Ldr on 1st September 1941. He was the highest ranking officer at 63 Squadron when it reformed on 15th June 1942 out of part of 239 Squadron from where he had previously served. He became their commanding officer briefly until W/Co Lacey arrived and took over. 63 Squadron moved to Catterick in the middle of July 1942.
Ken Reast, Albert Pritchard and Eric Barton obtained permission from the landowner and gamekeeper in March 2000 and were able to locate small remains with their assistance in a boggy area which confirmed the location. The photograph shown above I took when passing the general area in 2006.