On 8th December 1940 this 54 Squadron aircraft made a heavy landing at Catterick airfield which caused the undercarriage to collapse. Nothing is mentioned in the squadron records, this information has been purely found on the AM Form 1180.
Pilot - Sgt Charles Howard Squire RAFVR (968401).
Spitfire R6898 was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Eastleigh and was first test flown on 5th July 1940. Two days later it was flown to 6 M.U. at Brize Norton and was then taken on charge by 54 Squadron on 13th July 1940 who were based at Rochford. On 24th July 1940 54 Squadron moved to Hornchurch, Catterick on 28th July 1940, back to Hornchurch on 8th August 1940 and back to Catterick on 3rd September 1940. As a result of the undercarriage collapsing at Catterick on 8th December 1940 it say unrepaired until minor Cat.R/FA damage was the assessment by 43 Group D.A. on 23rd January 1941 and a repair on site was made. On 12th March 1941, on completion of repair, the aircraft was transferred to 41 Squadron at Catterick. On 18th April 1941 it was transferred to 452 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsay. On 24th May 1941 it was transferred to 313 Squadron at Catterick and carried the code "RY-L", this squadron then moved to Leconfield on 1st July 1941. On 16th August 1941 it was transferred to 61 O.T.U. at Heston. On 8th December 1941 it struck a tree and crashed at Bramley, Hampshire.
Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 12th December 1941.
On 7th December 1940 Sgt Squire was the pilot of Spitfire N3292 which suffered damage at Catterick. He was then involved in a potentially more serious incident on 28th December 1940 flying Spitfire X4650 over Kirklevington after a mid-air collision with another 54 Squadron Spitfire X4276. He baled out and survived. On 26th February 1941 Sgt Squire became a PoW on his first operational flight when Spitfire P7443 was shot down by flak.
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