Spitfire K9844 near Church Fenton.
On 25th March 1940 the pilot of this 64 Squadron aircraft was being flown from Church Fenton airfield, almost certainly on a non-operational flight when the pilot heard a loud crack originating from the rear of the aircraft. This noise was the failure of something structural within the rear of the aircraft, losing control he baled out safely. The crash location is thought to have been in the Church Fenton area.
The site must have been dug up in the last few decades. An oxygen bottle labelled as being from this aircraft appeared on Ebay recently. The label of which was one identical to those printed by an aircraft parts collector from Bilsdale at the time.
Pilot - F/O Alastair John Oswald Jeffrey RAF (39740).
On 25th July 1940 Alastair Jeffrey failed to return from an operational flight in Spitfire P9421. The aircraft crashed into the North Sea but his body was later recovered by Germans and buried but under the name of S/Ldr Holson, but whom was never a casualty. Post-war realising there was no casualty in the name of S/Ldr Holson his grave was exhumed and Alistair Jeffrey's body was correctly identified. He is now buried in Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery, Netherlands. Notification that he had been awarded the DFC came through after his death, printed in the London Gazette on 13th August 1940. The citation stated.. "This officer has displayed gallantry and skill in engagements against the enemy. He has destroyed three enemy aircraft in air combat, and on two occasions has carried out attacks on enemy bases, destroying at least four aircraft on the ground."
Spitfire K9844 was built to contract 527113/36 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd at Woolston and first test flown on 12th January 1939. It was delivered
to 41 Squadron at Catterick on 16th January 1939 and moved with the unit to Wick on 19th October 1939 and back to Catterick on 25th October 1939. It was slightly damaged in a taxiing accident there on 22nd November 1939 and would have been repaired on site. It then transferred to 64 Squadron, based at Church Fenton on 11th March 1940 when the unit started to convert from Blenheim MkIf's to Spitfire MkIa's. It sustained Cat.W/FA damage in the incident detailed above and was struck off charge on 5th April 1940.