Hurricane P3901 at Clifton airfield.
This Hurricane was slightly damaged at Clifton airfield at 14.30hrs on 25th November 1941 when it was taxied into soft ground, nothing more is known about the incident. The second page that names the pilot is missing from the microfilmed AM Form 1180 microfilms at the RAF Museum. Clifton's ORB briefly recorded the incident as: "Hurricane P3901 from 13 Grp. Flt. Woolsington, crashed Cat.A(c)."
Pilot - Name unknown.
Hurricane P3901 was built to contract 962371/38 by The Hawker Aircraft Co. Ltd. at Brooklands and was awaiting collection in July 1940. It was taken on charge
the same month by 615 Squadron at Kenley. On 22th August 1940 its pilot was making a patrol of the coastline off Deal when it was attacked by another Hurricane
at 13.15hrs. P3901's pilot P/O H.D.Hone made a forced landing on the outskirts of Deal and the aircraft was damaged. From here it was assessed and Cat.R/FB damage
was the assessment, it was then dismantled and transported by road for repair in works. On completion of the repair it was taken on charge by 303 Squadron at
Leconfield in November 1940 but 303 Squadron ceased operating Hurricane MkI’s in January 1941 so the aircraft was transferred to Leconfield’s other resident
Hurricane squadron 253 Squadron later the same month. It moved to Skeabrae with the squadron on 10th February 1941, 253 Squadron ceased operating Hurricane MkI’s
in August 1941 so the aircraft was transferred to 55 OTU at Usworth. Offically when the incident occurred at Clifton on 25th November 1941 it was assigned to
55 OTU however the Clifton ORB stated it was on the book of 13 Group Flight based at Woolsington and I believe that Woolsington borrowed the aircraft from 55 OTU
and used it as a Station Flight aircraft for a time. Woolsington had a large grass airfield and was the home of 83 MU (Salvage and Repair Unit) and the RAF
Mobile Dental Surgery Unit. As a result of the damage sustained at Clifton on 25th November 1941 Cat.A/FA damage was the assessment, it was repaired on site and
returned to 55 OTU. It flew with them until 28th April 1943 when it flew into Scarrowmanwick Fell, near Croglin, in the North Pennines with its then pilot
Sgt Peter Skoblack RCAF being killed.