Spitfire K9849 at Catterick airfield.
On Thursday, 14th September 1939 the pilot of this 41 Squadron aircraft was attempting to take off at 18.25hrs to carry out a basic local flying training practice to include some instrument flying and also to practice night flying approaches to land. The aircraft had already made one short flight and had landed. There was a slight wind blowing from the north at the time and the aircraft then taxied to the southern end of the airfield and took off into this wind. The concrete runways that came later did not exist at this period of time and the airfield was purely a grass airfield. The aircraft failed to climb above twelve feet after becoming airborne, it struck the tower of the Watch Office on the Northern boundary of the airfield and crashed just behind it. The watch office was just east of the eastern-most large hanger of the two than existed at the time. AC1 George Marshall (328832) was at his post in the Watch Office at the time of the crash and saw the aircraft approach, he was left to duck for cover as it struck the top of the building. The wreckage caught fire immediately and although the pilot could not be rescued because of the fire it was later thought that he had been killed instantly as a result of the impact. It was thought that he had not put the propeller into
fine pitch (left it in coarse pitch) and had begun to take off with the flaps lowered and only raised them just before the crash. This was 41 Squadron's first fatal accident of the War.
Pilot - P/O John James Hawke Copley RAF (41258), aged 18, of Newton, Cambridgeshire. Buried Newton Churchyard, Cambridgeshire.
John James Copley.
John Copley's rather neglected grave in Newton churchyard and the village war memorial on which his name is inscribed.
Spitfire K9849 was built to contract 527113/36 by Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd at Woolston and was delivered to 41 Squadron at Catterick on 26th January 1939. It was destroyed in the incident above with Cat.W/FA damage being recorded after assessment. It had flown a total of 132.10 hours.