Battle L5680 at Skipsea.
On 24th March 1941 the pilot of this No.2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit aircraft made a forced landing near Skipsea when the aircraft suffered a fuel leak, the aircraft was
slightly damaged but the pilot was not injured. It probably landed with the wheels down for the damage to be quickly repaired on site. There is no AM Form 1180 for this incident.
Pilot - Sgt Klemens Prusak PAF (P.782599). Uninjured.
Sgt Klemens Prusak was killed in a flying accident on 27th February 1945 while serving with 303 Squadron when his Spitfire MA814 crashed near Kettering. He was thirty years old and is buried in the large Polish wargraves plot in Newark Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Battle L5680 was built to contract 540408/36 by The Austin Motor Co. Ltd. at Longbridge and was delivered to 22 MU at Silloth on 27th May
1940 who issued it to 1(C)OTU at Silloth on 19th June 1940. On 2nd December 1940 it was transferred to 2(C)OTU at Catfoss. It sustained minor
Cat.A/FA damage following the incident at Skipsea on 24th March 1941 and was repaired on site. It was then damaged again at Catfoss
on 4th July 1941 and Cat.M/FA was the damage assessment. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 27th November 1941 it was transferred
back to 1(C)OTU at Silloth and on 30th April 1942 it suffered another flying accident with Cat.A/FA damage recorded when it suffered engine failure and
pilot was able to make a belly landing at Silloth. It was again repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 19th December 1942 it was flown to 18 MU at
Dumfries for long term storage and remained there until being finally struck off charge on 14th July 1944.