Spitfire BL251 was built to contract B981687/39 by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd at Castle Bromwich. On 6th November 1941 it was delivered to 38 MU at
Llandow and was taken on charge by 122 Squadron, 13 Group, Fighter Command on 18th November 1941. A few days after delivery to 122 Squadron it was
being flown on 5th December 1941 with one other aircraft from the same Flight from RAF Scorton where the two aircraft were to proceed to Thornaby to
use that airfield as a forward base to carry out convoy patrols off the Yorkshire coast and the North Sea. Ten minutes before taking off Thornaby
were contacted who advised that conditions were poor in the area although it was still suitable for landing there, the weather to the east and
north was believed worse. The weather at Scorton was cloudy, 6/10th cloud reported, but knowing the conditions were poor towards the coast the pilots
were given orders to return to Scorton if the leader of the Flight deemed the weather conditions too poor to land at Thornaby. If the weather was deemed
reasonable the flight were to land at Thornaby following their patrol. Both Spitfires took off at 09.47hrs and headed east, in the lead aircraft was
P/O Hardy and the pilot of BL251 was Sgt Hutton, flying as number two. They arrived over Middlesbrough, although the pilot could not see the town as
the aircraft entered thick cloud. The lead pilot deemed the weather to be too poor to continue and instructed his number two that they were to return
to base. Both aircraft entered a turn to port. A radio log discovered in Australian National Archives states that at 18.58hrs the lead pilot stated that
he had lost sight of his number two in cloud in thr turn back to base. The lead aircraft was nearly struck by the other aircraft twice who took evasive
action. After this second action he lost sight of him again and after trying to contact him on the radio he returned to base. Visibility was recorded at
upto 10/10ths cloud at 1000ft over the North Yorkshire Moors and the Eston Hills nearby. While flying in cloud it was believed that the pilot had lost
control and at 09.00hrs the aircraft crashed into rising ground near Mill Farm, Upsall, on the lower slopes of the Eston Hills. The wreckage was found
at 09.30hrs and later identified as being that of Spitfire BL251 with the pilot being sadly killed in the crash.
The crash investigation found that the pilot was inexperienced in flying in cloud on instruments and after loosing control the
height at which he was flying was not enough to allow him time and space to recover from. It was also stated that where pilots used a "K-type"
dinghy and with the seat lowered to full extent, then the artificial horizon instrument was obscured. In cloud this condition would then prevent
a quick transfer to instrument flying after
the pilot had been previously visually flying with his leader (number two usually flew just behind, to the side and below the leader). The artifical horizon is a
vital instrument needed to know which was is up when flying in thick cloud.
Pilot - Sgt Gordon William "Peter" Hutton RAAF (402856), aged 24, of Bulli, New South Wales, Australia. Buried Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Gordon Hutton was known as Peter. He was born on 3rd January 1917 at Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. After leaving school he worked as a butcher with his father
before enlisting into the RAAF in Sydney on 11th November 1940. He sailed from Sydney in April 1941 and gained his Wings at Yorkton, Canada with 11 SFTS in July 1941. He
arrived in the UK and trained at 61 OTU, arriving there on 9th September 1941. Following this training he was posted to 122 Squadron at Scorton on 27th November 1941.
His funeral was on 9th December 1941 and was buried in Catterick Cemetery. I would like to thank the pilot's niece, Miss Philippa Hutton, for contacting me in 2007 and
for allowing the photograph of her Uncle and for the information she has been able to provide in this account.
I understand that the aircraft crashed on the hillside towards the centre of the photographs above. Small pieces of
the aircraft were found at the site in the early 1990's in a cultivated field but as yet I have not visited the site myself as yet to photograph the area.
