During the morning of 28th December 1940 this 54 Sqaudron aircraft and Spitfire X4276 of the same squadron were being flown on a training exercise when they collided at 12,000 feet over Kirklevington. The pilot of this aircraft was new to the squadron, he made a practice attack on the other aircraft but struck the tail of the other aircraft and sliced it off. This aircraft had damage to it's canopy and suffered a flattened tail fin but the pilot remained in reasonable control allowing the pilot to bale out. Spitfire X4650 then crashed into the bank of the River Leven near Red Hall Farm, Kirklevington. The pilot escaped serious injuries. Spitfire X4276 lost it's tail and immediately went into a spin, the pilot was only just able to bale out and survive.
Pilot - Sgt Charles Howard Squire RAF (968401), of Wallasey, Cheshire.
The wreckage was discovered on the banks of the River Leven in 1976.
The remains were acquired by Peter Monk in 1995 and soon after restoration work on it was commenced. On 11th September 2012 Spitfire G-CGUK / X4650 was registered to Comanche Warbirds Ltd. of Barnet and made it's first post-restoration flight on 9th March 2012.
Howard Squire was almost certainly born Charles Howard Squire in 1920. On 7th December 1940 he was the pilot of Spitfire N3292 which suffered damage at Catterick, a day later he was the pilot of Spitfire R6898 that was damaged on landing at Catterick. On 26th February 1941 Sgt Squire became a PoW on his first operational flight when Spitfire P7443 was shot down by flak.
Spitfire X4650 was built to contract 19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Woolston and was first test flown on 23rd October 1940. It was delivered to the RAF on 25th October and into the hands of 24 M.U. at Ternhill. On 14th November 1940 it was taken on charge by 54 Squadron at Catterick, as a result of the crash on 28th December 1940 Cat.W/FA damaged was recorded and it was struck off charge on 4th January 1941.