During the early months of the war 41 Squadron used Thornaby as a forward base and on 23rd February 1940 this pilot flew this Spitfire to Thornaby. On the 24th he practiced
low level attacks in the same aircraft and whilst landing back at Thornaby the aircraft tipped up onto it's nose damaging it slightly, it was later repaired and put back into
service. The pilot was uninjured but did no flying until 26th February 1940 when he flew back to Catterick in Magister K8296. His next flight in a Spitfire was on the 27th
in "EB-D".
Pilot - P/O Bernard Gregory Piddocke RAF (70813).
Greg Piddocke was born in Wooler in either 1917 or 1919 and joined 41 Squadron on 20th March 1939, he had the misfortune to damage Spitfire K9844 at Catterick on 22nd
November 1939 in a taxiing accident. He left the squadron on 17th October 1940 and transferred to being an ATA ferry pilot at White Waltham on 13 November 1940. He survived
the War and later moved to Cairns, Queensland, Australia where (at the time of writing in 2009) he still lived in retirement in his late 80's.
Spitfire N3098 had a very long and detailed history. It was built to contract 527113/36 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd at Woolston and was first test flown on
17th October 1939 and delivered to 8 MU at Little Rissington two days later. The paperwork for its transfer from 8 MU to 41 Squadron was complicated, on 21st January 1940 it
was allocated to 41 Squadron at Catterick but this was cancelled and it was then allocated to 611 Squadron at Digby but this allocation was cancelled again and it was once
again allocated to 41 Squadron at Catterick and was delivered there that day. Following the incident detailed above Cat.M/FA damage was recorded. It was repaired on site
and was returned to the unit after having a new engine and propeller fitted. It then moved with 41 Squadron down to Hornchurch on 28th May 1940 and back
to Catterick on 8th June 1940 and again back to Hornchurch on 26th July 1940 and then back north to Catterick 8th August 1940 and back down to
Hornchurch on 3rd September 1940. On 5th September it was damaged by fire from an enemy aircraft and the pilot made a forced-landing
at Standford-le-Hope with the then pilot being uninjured, Cat.R/FB damage was recorded and it was taken away and repaired in works at 1
CRU at Morris Motors Ltd, at Cowley on 12th September 1940. On completion of these repairs it again went to 8 MU at
Little Rissington (ASU) on 19th December 1940 which then issued it to 61 OTU at Heston on 28th June 1941. On 24th July 1941 it
suffered a heavy landing at Heston, resulting the port undercarriage leg being torn off. Cat.R/FA damage was recorded and
again it was taken away and repaired in works by AST Ltd at Hamble on 27th July 1941, where during these repairs the
airframe was converted to Mk.Va status. On completion of repair and conversion it passed to 38 MU at Llandow (ASU) on 1st December
1941. It was then issued to 164 Squadron at Skeabrae on 29th June 1942. 164 Squadron left Skeabrae on 10th September 1942
but the aircraft remained there and was transferred to 602 Squadron who moved into Skeabrae on that date. It then
transferred to the 96th FS, 82nd FG, USAAF, based at Eglinton on 8th November 1942 but on 21st November it sustained Cat.A/FA damage
following a taxying accident at Eglinton, it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 9th February 1943 it suffered
another Cat.A/FA at Eglinton, but no details are known. From here it may have again been taken into works for repair and
on completion of repair issued to the 109th OS, 67th OG, USAAF at Atcham on an unspecified date in March or April 1943. On 4th May
1943 it suffered a ground accident at Atcham sustaining Cat.A/FA damage. and was again repaired on site and returned to the unit.
On 23rd October 1943 the aircraft was transferred back to RAF and issued to 61 OTU at Rednal. It is recorded as transferring
to 288 Squadron based at Collyweston on 6th November 1944. However records indicate that 288 Squadron never operated Mk.Va
Spitfires so it was possibly never got taken on charge by 288 Squadron; however if it did, then it may have moved up to
Church Fenton when the unit moved there on 19th November 1944. Its ultimate fate is not known.