Spitfire P8168 at Catterick airfield.
On the 11th of June 1941 this aircraft hit a ridge on the runway at Catterick when the pilot was making a night landing
at 00.10hrs and the aircraft burst a tyre. The aircraft was soon repaired.
Pilot - Sgt Alan L Bull RAAF (400219), uninjured.
Alan Bull was born in Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia in February 1918. He enlisted in Melbourne. He arrived at 41 Squadron in early June 1941, the incident detailed above
was the first of three mishaps he had within a month. This aircraft was soon repaired and Sgt Bull was the pilot again on 22nd June 1941 when he damaged it again at Catterick
(detailed on its own webpage).
On 12th August 1941 he was shot down over France and captured and held as a PoW. In April 1945 he was part of well documented forced marches, he escaped and walked back to the
Allied lines. He survived the War and died in 1997. Thanks to Steve Brew's 41 Squadron research for this information. His great uncle was with Alan Bull when he escaped.