Spitfire AD230 on White Moss Fell, Forest of Bowland.
During the afternoon of 28th December 1942 this 317 Squadron aircraft was one of five that were undertaking a formation flying exercise to be followed by a low flying exercise, during the flight all the aircraft entered cloud but only four of the five aircraft emerged from it. Nothing more was heard from the pilot of Spitfire AD230 and despite searches being carried out nothing was seen. It was presumed that the aircraft had flown west and had crashed into the Irish Sea. Only on 28th February 1943 was the wreckage of Spitfire AD230 found on White Moss Fell, just inside the Yorkshire boundary. The pilot had not survived. He was recovered and a team from 75 M.U. spent nearly a month recovering the wreckage due to the inaccessibility of the site.
Pilot - P/O Wladyslaw Pucek PAF (P.76724), aged 27. Buried Layton Cemetery, Blackpool, Lancashire.
Spitfire AD230 was built to contract B981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd., at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to 12 M.U. at Kirkbride on 21st September 1941. It was a presentation Spitfire and carried the wording "PALEM BANG OELOE IV". The dated the aircraft was taken on charge by various squadrons are not known. It first served with 308 Squadron at Northolt and this unit converted to Spitfire MkVb's (which AD230 was one) in September 1941. It next served with 315 Squadron who were also based at Northolt until September 1942 and it then served with 317 Squadron also at Northolt before they moved to Woodvale.