Spitfire K9844 at Catterick airfield.
On 22nd November 1939 this 41 Squadron aircraft suffered damage at Catterick airfield in a taxiing accident. Nothing more is known about the incident.
Pilot - P/O Bernard Gregory Piddocke RAF (70813), of Wooler, Northumberland.
Bernard Piddocke was born in Northumberland in 1917, he was involved in a number of flying mishaps in Yorkshire. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation before the outbreak of the War, but the date is currently unknown. He was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 29th September 1939 but resigned his short service commission in the RAF on 17th October 1940. He later transferred to the ATA and served as a ferry pilot at White Waltham from 13th November 1940. Nothing more is known about him
after this date.
Spitfire K9844 was built to contract 527113/36 by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Ltd at Woolston and the aircraft first flew on 12th January 1939. It was delivered to 41 Squadron at Catterick on 16th January 1939 and it moved with unit to Wick on 19th October 1939. 41 Squadron returned to Catterick on 25th October 1939 and it returned with them. Following the incident above it appears not to have been recorded but it must have suffered minor damage, assessed at Cat.M/FA. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit. It later transferred to 64 Squadron at
Church Fenton on 11th March 1940 and was written off with Cat.W/FA damage recorded on 25th March 1940 when it was abandoned after control was lost and crashed near Church Fenton. It was struck of charge on 5th April 1940.