Spitfire P7549 at Thornaby airfield.
On 13th April 1941 this 41 Squadron aircraft overshot on landing at Thornaby at 06.00hrs and after running onto rough ground it tipped up onto it's nose. The
pilot was not injured and the aircraft was repaired.
Pilot - P/O Nigel Howard Coupland Keable RAFVR (60085).
Nigel Keable was born on 28th July 1919 in Grimsby, he received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 15th January 1941
(with seniority of 3rd January 1941) and completed his training at 57 OTU on the same day. He was involved in an incident while flying
Spitfire R6699 the day after the incident at Thornaby (detailed on this website). He was killed on 5th August 1941 having been posted to
603 Squadron and whilst flying Spitfire X4663. He is buried in a joint grave in Noordwijk Cemetery, Holland and was twenty two years old.
A photograph of him exists at "http://www.basher82.nl/Data/noordwijkzh/keable.htm".
Spitfire P7549 was built to contract B.981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to 9 MU at Cosford
on 24th October 1940. On 5th November 1940 it was taken on charge by 603 Squadron based at Hornchurch. On 3rd December 1940 it was
transferred to 41 Squadron also at Hornchurch when 603 Squadron left for Rochford. 41 Squadron moved to Catterick on 22nd February
1941 and took P7549 with them, it sustained Cat.M(u) damage as a result of the incident stated above and was repaired on site and returned
to the unit. It moved with 41 Squadron on 28th July 1941 when they moved to Merston then transferred to 131 Squadron in September 1941 who
were based at Ternhill. They took the aircraft with them on 27th September when they moved to Atcham, to Llanbedr on 8th February 1942, to
Valley on 30th March 1942 and back to Llanbedr on 16th April 1942. In May 1942 to was transferred to 57 OTU at Hawarden but on 16th August
1942 Cat.E2/FA damage was sustained when it was involved in a mid-air collision with Spitfire P7598 and crashed near Green Farm, High Kinnerton,
Flintshire, killing the then pilot, Sgt R.I.Forsyth.