Spitfire P9564 at Beswick, near Leconfield.
During the morning of 30th September 1940 the experienced pilot of this aircraft was in the air with pilots
flying other 64 Squadron aircraft, he was assisting them in flying practice around the Leconfield area. These
other aircraft were being piloted by newly qualified airmen and although this pilots rank does not suggest it,
he was well regarded by his superiors and had taken part in many operational flights during the previous four
months with his squadron. This aircraft and one other were flying in formation at 3,000ft and acting as a target
for other aircraft to practice attacking. It is thought that while they flying in formation the starboard wing of Spitfire
K9805 struck the rear fuselage of this aircraft and sheered off the tail section completely. With control being immediately
lost the pilot had no chance to escape and was sadly killed in the crashed near Beswick, four miles north of base
at just after 10.30hrs. The tail unit was found around a quarter of a mile from the rest of the wreckage. The other aircraft, K9805, went into a dive but the pilot was able to regain control and he landed at Driffield airfield.
Pilot - P/O Adrian Francis Laws DFM RAF (45092), aged 28, of East Dereham, Norfolk. Buried Wells next the Sea Cemetery, Norfolk.
Adrian Laws was born in August 1912 in East Dereham, Norfolk and joined the RAF in March 1931 and trained as a storekeeper, after a posting to the Middle East he later applied for pilot training in 1935. Having completed his training he joined 64 Squadron in April 1936 and when War broke out in 1939 the unit was by now back in the UK. On 1st June 1940 he was flying a wing patrol out of Hawkinge airfield over Dunkirk when at 16.45hrs a Junkers Ju87 Stuka damaged his Spitfire N3230, which he managed to get back to Hawkinge with repairable damage. On 17th September 1940 he was awarded the DFM for his actions for the months previous during the Battles of Britain and Frace. The Citation reads..
"The King has been graciously pleased to approve the.. award, in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy", "this airman has taken part in numerous
operational flights since May 1940. He has destroyed five enemy aircraft and damaged another two. His initiative, courage and tenacity have been outstanding."
As was the case during the Battle of Britain the operational squadrons were posted North to allow them time to fill gaps with new pilots and to give the experienced pilots
a small break. They were not taken off active duty however and units in Yorkshire carried out numerous patrols of the Yorkshire coast. While at Leconfield Adrian Laws received
a commission on 28th September 1940 to P/O; just two days before his death.
Spitfire P9564 was built to contract B980385/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd at Woolston and was
first test flown on 1st May 1940 during the testing a problem must have found as it was not delivered to 8 MU at
Little Rissington util 5th July 1940. On 19th August 1940 it was taken on charge by 64 Squadron at Leconfield but
received Cat.W/FA damage in the crash on 30th September 1940 and was struck off charge when the paperwork went through on 7th October 1940.