Spitfire AB250 near Lockington.
During the morning of 17th May 1942 a number of 308 Squadron pilots undertook a formation flying exercise around the general area of Hutton Cranswick airfield where the squadron was based. At 09.50hrs a collision between Spitfire AM250 and Spitfire BL534 occurred. Both aircraft fell on land belonging to Rectory Farm, Lockington. Sadly both pilots died as a result of the accident and were buried on 21st May 1942. The unit ORB gives more detail regarding the funerals than the accident itself, it states that a Mass held said at Leconfield airfield following burial at Leconfield Churchyard "next to two other Polish pilots killed when 303 Squadron were at Leconfield." A detachment of S.H.Q., WAAF's and Royal Navy personnel were present.
Spitfire AB250 was built to contract B19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Eastleigh and was first test flown on 29th November 1941. It was then flown to 38 M.U at Llandow on 7th December 1941 and remained there until being taken on charge by 308 Squadron at Woodvale on 28th January 1942. It then moved with 308 Squadron to Exeter on 1st April 1942 and to Hutton Cranswick on 7th May 1942. As a result of the crash on 17th May 1942 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge four days later. A licence to excavate this crash site was granted in May 2006 to a group headed by Max Elliott's "Yorkshire Aviation Archaeologists Group" with items being recovered.
Pilot - Sgt Witold Josef Knott PAF (P/781014), aged 25. Buried Leconfield Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Wiltold Knott's gravestone at Leconfield Churchyard, Yorkshire. He was born in October 1916.
