Spitfire P7320 at Catterick airfield.
On 5th April 1941 this 41 Squadron aircraft undershot a night landing at Catterick at 23.05hrs and hit a rugby post some 400 yards from the boundary of the airfield.
The pilot was not injured and the aircraft only slightly damaged. Poor airfield lighting was deemed to blame which gave pilot's little assistance in landing.
Pilot - Sgt Harry Hopkinson RAFVR (754511).
Harry Hopkinson was born in Thurnscoe, Yorkshire in August 1920. Upon enlisting to the RAFVR and training he initially served with 54 Squadron in
late 1940 before posting to 41 Squadron in December 1940. On 4th February 1941 he was the pilot of Spitfire P7448 when he landed at Hornchurch with
the undercarriage not locked down, it collapsed on landing damaging the aircraft. He received a commission on 7th January 1942 to the rank of P/O
on probation (emergency). Promoted to Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the DSO in September 1944 (with 253 Squadron). He retired from the RAF in 1963.
Spitfire P7320 was built to contract B.981687/39/CB/23(c) by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at the Castle Bromwich factory and was delivered to 9 MU at
Cosford on 10th August 1940. It was taken on charge a few days later by 611 Squadron at Digby. During the Battle of Britain Cat.R/FA damage was sustained
on 9th September 1940 when, on a routine patrol from the forward airfield at Fowlmere the aircraft ran out of fuel and at 18.35hrs the then pilot made a
forced landing near Henlow. The aircraft was dismantled a few days later and transported to Heston Aircraft Co. Ltd. at Heston for repair and after a period
of MU storage it was taken on charge by 41 Squadron at Catterick on 30th March 1941. On 5th April 1941 Cat.M(c) damage was recorded after the incident
recorded above at Catterick. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 28th July 1941 it transferred to 145 Squadron at Catterick when 41
Squadron moved to Merston, swapping aircraft with 145 Squadron who moved in from Merston on the same date. On 5th December 1941 it was transferred to
417 Squadron at Charmy Down shortly after the unit formed and in February 1942 it moved with the unit to Tain but the following month it was placed
into MU storage. This storage was only brief as on 15th April 1942 it was taken on charge by 53 OTU at Llandow, it moved with the unit on 9th May 1943
to Kirton in Lindsey. On 14th December 1943 it was transferred to CGS at Sutton Bridge and on 24th February 1944 it moved with this unit to Catfoss.
It was struck off charge on 2nd November 1944 having been in storage for an unknown period of time.