Spitfire N3271 near Beverley.
During the afternoon of 4th August 1940 the pilot of this 616 Squadron aircraft was practicing dog fights with other aircraft in his unit and flying
at 5,000 feet. While flying behind another aircraft this aircraft entered a left hand spin and began to lose height, the pilot attempted to correct the spin but it then entered a spin to the right and sadly the pilot did not regain control before the aircraft spun into the ground at 16.10hrs. A very basic map reference given in the pilot's casualty file would suggest it was on land roughly between the villages of Wawne and Swine, to the south-east of Beverley. The pilot was sadly killed.
Pilot - Sgt John Patrick Walsh RAFVR (754138), aged 20, of Harrow. Buried Harrow Cemetery, Middlesex.
Sgt John Walsh. His name does not appear on the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour, although he was serving with a Battle of Britain Squadron in the conflict, as he did not fly
an operational flight which was needed for qualification.
Spitfire N3271 was built to contract 527113/36 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Woolston and was first test flown on 2nd January 1940. It was then flown into storage at 9 MU at Cosford on 10th January 1940. 616 Squadron, who were based at Leconfield, were then issued with it on 9th April 1940. On 27th May 1940 it moved with this unit to Rochford and then on 6th June 1940 with the unit to Leconfield. Cat.W/FA damage was recorded following the accident near Beverley on 4th August 1940 and it was struck off charge eight days later.