Hurricane AE963 at Catterick airfield.

On 11th August 1941 this 331 Squadron aircraft crashed on landing at Catterick airfield following a training flight. The pilot appears to have failed to lower the undercarriage fully.

Pilot - Fnr Anton Christoffer Hagerup, of Norway.

The 331 Squadron ORB states that four days earlier they had suffered an earlier minor mishap in the Catterick area. After this second incident on 11th August 1941 all of 331 Squadron's aircraft (Hurricane MkI's) were grounded pending a court of inquiry and this probably came about following the incidents on 7th and 11th August 1941. The outcome of the enquiry on 16th August 1941 found that 41 Group were informed that they were to re-equip 331 Squadron with Hurricane MkII aircraft suggesting the the verdict was that there was a problem with the MkI's. On 17th August 1941 331 Squadron started to receive Hurricane MkII's but had then moved to Castletown on 21st August 1941.

Fnr Hagerup was later posted to 333 Squadron and was killed flying Mosquito DZ754 on 23rd March 1944 when his aircraft crashed on a small island called Yttoyane, Norway.
Hurricane AE963 was built by the Canadian Car & Foundry Co. at Fort William, Ontario, Canada and was purchased by the British Purchasing Commission under Block 2/C. The aircraft was shipped to the UK in April 1941 and upon arrival it was assembled, tested, accepted and then placed into storage. It was delivered to 331 Squadron at Catterick (probably) days before the crash there on 11th August 1941 that saw a Cat.E/FA damage assessment. Following this incident it was not repaired.

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