Spitfire P8161 near "Wolf Stones" on the Yorkshire/Lancashire border. Near Haworth.
On 14th May 1941 this aircraft was being ferried from 9 MU at Cosford to 603 Squadron based at Turnhouse, Scotland, when the aircraft flew into high ground shrouded in mist close to the Yorkshire / Lancashire border in the region of Wolf Stones (between Colne and Haworth). 20 EFTS record book mentions this incident and stated that the civilian police in Colne had taken possession of the pilot's body which in itself does not mean the aircraft crashed on the Lancashire side of the border but it's possible. The location is often referred to as "near Colne, Lancashire" but the exact location of where the aircraft crashed was not known when this webpage was last updated, the pilot's death was registered in the Nelson district of Lancashire suggesting the aircraft crashed on their side of the border. The AIR81 casualty file in the National Archives makes no mention of Yorkshire, stating the location was near Trauden, Colne. Perhaps one to delete although we have his body here in Yorkshire.
Pilot - Sgt Charles Edward Bell RAFVR (748540), aged 22, of Wrose. Buried Yeadon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Charles Bell's grave in Yeadon Cemetery.
Spitfire P8161 was built to contract B.981687/39/CB/23(c) by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to 9 MU
at Cosford on 9th March 1941 for storage. On 14th May 1941 it was to be taken on charge by 603 Squadron based at Turnhouse but crashed
en route and Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded. The aircraft was struck off charge on 28th May 1941. This aircraft is believed to have been
a presentation aircraft and carried the text "City of Leeds".