Spitfire P7742 at Catterick airfield.
Around midday on 16th November 1941 this 145 Squadron aircraft was flown on a formation flying exercise. When it came to landing at Catterick airfield at 12.50hrs the approach was made at too great speed, the aircraft overshot and ran into a patch of mud. This caused the aircraft to swing and the undercarriage collapsed.
Pilot - Sgt W M Davidson RAFVR (1268413).
Spitfire P7742 was a presentation aircraft donated by the "National Employers Mutual Insurance" and probably carried their lettering stating this. It was built to contract B.981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to 9 MU at Cosford on 7th December 1940. After a lengthy period of MU storage it was taken on charge on 17th May 1941 by 603 Squadron at Hornchurch and then on 24th May 1941 it transferred to 111 Squadron at Dyce. On 20th July 1941 it moved with this unit to North Weald. On 29th September 1941 it transferred to 145 Squadron based at Catterick. Although no reference to the aircraft being damaged in November 1941 exists in the serial number history books if it was then the minor Cat.A/FA damage must have been the result and it would have
been repaired on site. Around the time the repairs would presumably have been completed the aircraft was transferred to 61 OTU at Heston on 11th December 1941 which
fits with the aircraft being slightly damaged and it being surplus to 145 Squadron when it was repaired. On 15th April 1942 it moved with this unit to Rednal. On 23rd
September 194 it was transferred to 53 OTU at Llandow then on 9th May 1943 it moved with this unit to Kirton in Lindsey. On 20th March 1944 it was transferred to
61 OTU at Rednal again and on an unknown date later in the year it was placed in MU storage to await disposal. It was finally struck off charge on 20th November 1944.