Spitfire R6698 at Leconfield airfield.
On 11th August 1940 this 616 Squadron aircraft struck Spitfire R6702 while it was taking off from Leconfield airfield for a training flight at 18.28hrs and broke off
the port oleo leg. The aircraft continued in its take off run and got airborne put flew a
circuit of the airfield and returned to Leconfield airfield and made a crash-landing. After inspection Cat.R/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was later repaired. There is
slight confusion as to who the pilot was as two are credited across a number of more modern documented accounts, the probably pilot was..
Pilot - P/O Lionel Harwood “Buck” Casson RAF(Aux) (91000), of Sheffield, Yorkshire.
Buck Casson was born in Sheffield in January 1915. He joined his local Auxillary
RAF Squadron, 616 Squadron, in early 1939 but was later posted to 501 Squadron in France
and later after returning to England by boat he flew with 79 Squadron before a posting
back to 616 Squadron in Summer 1940. He received his commission to Acting P/O on 23rd
July 1939 and was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 3rd December 1939. He rose to F/O
(war subs) on 3rd December 1940 and F/Lt on 3rd December 1941.
As F/O he was awarded the DFC for service with 616 Squadron, Gazetted 16th September 1941, the citation reads..
"This officer has been engaged on operations over a long period and has destroyed two,
probably destroyed four and damaged" a further two enemy aircraft. Flight Lieutenant Casson carried out many
offensive patrols following the Dunkirk evacuation and later fought in the Battle of Britain. This year he has
participated in a large number of offensive patrols over Northern France. His efficiency, leadership and courage
have set an excellent example."
On 9th August 1941 he was flying Spitfire W3458 on a sweep over France when his aircraft was damaged by
a Me109. He was forced to crash land the aircraft near St.Omer. He was taken PoW and was held at Stalag Luft III,
where he was employed on the escape committee. He returned home when liberated but later rejoined 616 (Aux)
Squadron in 1946 which he later commanded from 2nd October 1950 to 2nd November 1954. He was awarded the AFC
in the Queen's Coronation list on 1st June 1953, he then transferred to Reserve on 2nd November 1954 and
relinquished his commission of S/Ldr (on retirement) on 3rd May 1957. He died in October 2003.
Spitfire R6698 was built to contract 19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Woolston and on
7th June 1940 it was delivered to 8 MU at Little Rissington. Two days later it was taken on charge by 616 Squadron
at Leconfield. It sustained Cat.R(b)/FA damage in the incident recorded above on 11th August 1940 and was taken
away for repair in works. On 19th August 1940 it was transported to General Aircraft Ltd. at Hanworth for repair.
The repair was done by 22nd November 1940 when it was flown to 6 MU at Brize Norton. On 16th August 1941 it was
taken on charge by 61 OTU at Heston but on 14th October 1941 it was repaired after unspecified damage at the airfield
by a team from Vickers Armstrong's Ltd and returned to 61 OTU charge on 8th November 1941. On 15th April 1942 it moved
with this unit to Rednal. On 24th January 194 it was flown to 3501 SU at Cranfield for a major service. On 1st
April 1943 it was taken on charge by 57 OTU at Eshott but on 9th June 1943 it was destroyed, Cat.E2/FA Burnt
damage recorded, when its engine caught fire in the air. On landing at Eshott it ran into a fire tender. The
aircraft was deemed beyond repair but the pilot on that occasion escaped serious injury.