At around 09.30hrs on 28th February 1942 this 122 Squadron aircraft and another Spitfire took off from their forward operating base at Thornaby for a convoy patrol off Whitby. There was low cloud across much of the Yorkshire coast and it was a very cold morning. On the return leg of the flight, probably as the pilot was making for his home airfield of Scorton, this aircraft suffered engine failure so the pilot force-landed the aircraft without injury to himself on snow covered ground above Helmsley and on the North Yorkshire Moors. The aircraft sustained minor damage and the pilot was picked up some hours later un-harmed. The pilot would later write his autobiography and gave further details about the incident and where he force landed. I have also obtained the RAF's AM Form 1180 which appears to state the location of the landing as "one mile North West of Helmsley" and "in army camp". In his autobiography he gives further information about this incident, stating that he crashed close to the top of a steep bank, but that he could see a road some way in the distance (probably the Helmsley to Sutton Bank road). These descriptions would put the site as being in one of the fields on the side of Beckdale but if it was here surely the pilot would have walked down to Helmsley but I don't believe that there were any army camps in this area.
As it stands I do not currently known where the aircraft landed because I have yet to find any evidence of an army camps a mile North West of Helmsley. I would suggest that the landing was made on Roppa Moor somewhere between Roppa Bank and Newgate Bank but having found no evidence of this or any witnesses this is purely a guess, made by knowing the area very well.
Pilot - P/O William Thomas Edward Rolls DFM RAF (116492).
I understand from talking to local people that an aircraft; said to be a Halifax, made a landing on the old Rievaulx cricket pitch at Harriet Air Farm, which was at the top of Rievaulx Bank. I have yet to find documentary evidence for this Halifax landing. The location would fit with that of the Spitfire however but the mention of the army camp here again adds confusion. The description given in the pilot's book does not fit for being so close to farm land, it suggests it was on moorland which this area of Rievaulx Bank is not.
Spitfire W3656 had a long service history. It was built to contract B19713/39 by Vickers Supermarine Ltd at Eastleigh and was first test flown on 7th August 1941, it was delivered to the RAF at 8 MU at Little Rissington three days later. After acceptance at MU it was issued to 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill on 16th August 1941 but was flown to AST Ltd at Hamble on 23rd August 1941 for unspecified work to be carried out on it. It was taken on charge by 122 Squadron at Scorton on 22nd November 1941 and as a result of the damage sustained near Helmsley on 28th February 1942 it was assessed and Cat.A(c)/FA damage was recorded. The location of the repair is not known, it might have been repaired on site though a lorry may have removed it for a repair in works or possibly moved it to Scorton for repair there as the aircraft was later issued to 167 Squadron who were stationed at Scorton from 6th April 1942. It was transferred to 167 Squadron just after they arrived at Scorton and then moved with this squadron over the coming months; to Acklington on 23rd May 1942 and to Castletown on 1st June 1942 where it sustained a Cat.B/FA mishap on 14th August 1942. After this mishap it was taken by road to The Westland Aircraft Co. Ltd., at Yeovil for repair then on 9th March 1943 it was taken to Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at South Marston for fuel system modifications and wing stiffening. On 27th May 1943 it was taken on charge by 118 Squadron at Coltishall and moved to Westhampnett on 15th August 1943. On 25th September 1943 it was transferred to 64 Squadron at Coltishall and then moved with the unit to Ayr on 21st January 1944 then back to Coltishall on 3rd February 1944 and to Deanland on 29th April 1944. On 12th June 1944 it suffered Cat.A/FB damage on an operational flight and after assessment it was deemed to need a repair in works and later that month was taken to AST Ltd. at Hamble. On completion of the repair it was taken on charge by 1668 HCU on 29th November 1944 at Bottesford for fighter affiliation duties. It survived the war and on 6th March 1946 it was transferred to 12 School of Technical Towing at Melksham and was converted to a ground instructional airframe 5842M. The aircraft may have carried the name "Caledonian Society" for part of its service life.
William Rolls had his autobiography entitled "Spitfire Attack" published in the 1980s and re-published in June 2005; it detailed his RAF career. William Rolls served in the Battle of Britain with 72 Squadron and was awarded his DFM for service with that squadron, Gazetted in November 1940. The Citation reads.."This airman, after very short experience of operational flying, has taken his place with the best war pilots in the squadron. In each of his first two engagements he shot down two enemy aircraft, and has in all destroyed at least six".
Soon after his DFM was presented and after a short period of leave he was posted to instructional duties with 58 OTU at Grangemouth and later to 61 OTU before a return to operational flying with 122 Squadron at Scorton on 23rd October 1941. He had known the other pilot of 122 Squadron who had crash landed his Spitfire near Rosedale, soon after this incident another of his pilot friends was killed in a crash on the Eston Hills. Later in 1941 the squadron was posted down to Hornchurch where he served for a time before being posted to Malta with 126 Squadron. On 4th December 1942 he was awarded the DFC with 126 Squadron. He was later posted back to the UK after a period of sickness in Malta. He finished the War with a posting to the Bombing Analysis Unit. William Rolls died in July 1988.
He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (745542) on 6th January 1942, and rose to F/O on probation on 4th December 1942. He was also awarded the DFC on this same date for service with 126 Squadron. he rose to F/Lt on 6th January 1944 and survived the War. On 1st January 1946 he was "commended for valuable service in the air" with many hundred other airmen.