Spitfire P7287 near Marton le Moor.
On 24th October 1941 this 122 Squadron aircraft was flown on a non-operational flight but the nature of it is not known. The squadron was based at Scorton airfield but while flying near Ripon the aircraft suffered engine failure. The pilot attempted to reach Dishforth airfield but the aircraft did not have the height to reach the airfield so he ended up making a wheels up landing in a field around a mile west of Dishforth airfield at 15.30hrs. The location given on the AM Form 1180 is Cana Barn, which is a mile north of Marton le Moor. It ran through some hedges and came to rest in a ploughed field.
Pilot - P/O Robert Edward Hardy RCAF (J/4258).
Robert Hardy was killed on 24th April 1942 serving with 122 Squadron when Spitfire BL462 crashed off Ostend, Belgium. he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Spitfire P7287 had a long service history. It was built to contract 981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd., at Castle Bromwich (though this aircraft
was one of the first batch started at Castle Bromwich when Morris Motors ran the factory but they never produced a complete example before Vickers Armstrong
took over). On 13th July 1940 it was flown to 9 MU at Cosford and on 6th September 1940 it was taken on charge by 266 Squadronbased at Wittering. On 17th October 1940 it was
transferred to 603 Squadron at Hornchurch who then moved with them over the coming months to various airfield bases. On 3rd December 1940 it moved with the
unit to Rochford, on 13th December 1940 with the unit to Drem, on 28th February 1941 with the unit to Turnhouse, on 16th May 1941 with the unit to Hornchurch, and on
16th June 1941 with the unit to Rochford. On 29th June 1941 it was transferred to 65 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsey then on 31st September 1941 it transferred to 122 Squadron
at Catterick. It sustained Cat.E/FA damage following the accident near Dishforth on 24th October 1941 after an initial assessment but it was then dismantled and
transported by road to AST Ltd. at Hamble for a more detailed assessment which must have been more favourable and it was deemed repairable. On 28th January 1942
AST Ltd. contracted a rebuild to William Mumford Ltd. at Plymouth where aircraft was to be rebuilt as a Mk.V variant and this was completed as a L.Vb and issued
to the USAAF. On 6th August 1942 it was taken on charge by 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52 Fighter Group, USAAF at Eglinton and on 26th August 1942 it moved with this to Goxhill.
The 52 FG was transferred to North Africa and the unit arrived at Tafaraoui, Algeria on 8th November 1942. It then moved with the unit over the coming months, on 14th November
1942 with the unit to La Senia, Algeria. On 1st January 1943 with the unit to Orleansville, Algeria. On 19th January 1943 with the unit to Telergma, Algeria. On 8th March 1943
with the unit to Youks-les-Bains, Algeria. On 12th April 1943 with the unit to Le Sers, Tunisia. On 20th May 1943 with the unit to La Sebala, Tunisia. On 30th July 1943 with the
unit to Bocco Di Falco, Sicily and on 1st December 1943 with the unit to Borgo, Corsica. During early 1944 the 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group began converting
to P-51 Mustangs and the aircraft was shipped back to the UK arriving at Cunliffe Owen at Eastleigh on 17th March 1944 and the initial plan appears have been to to convert
the aircraft to a Seafire but this may not have occurred as the aircraft appears on Royal Navy charge as a Spitfire L.Vb. On 3rd May 1944 it was flown to 39 MU at Colerne
and in June 1944 it was taken on charge by 761 Squadron FAA at Henstridge. On 1st September 1944 it was flown to the Storage Section at RNAS Yeovilton but the pilot, Sub.Lt.
A.I.R. Jamieson RNZN, landed with the undercarriage retracted, the aircraft was initially declared Cat.X. (repairable on site) but on 24th October 1944 it was re-assessed and
Cat.E damage was recorded, it was then struck off charge.