Spitfire P8201 at Catterick airfield.
On 1st May 1941 a 41 Squadron aircraft is believed to have been slightly damaged in a ground accident at Catterick airfield, no details on how this occurred are
known but the aircraft must have only sustained very minor damage.
Vague reference to a second incident at Catterick on 2nd May 1941 in which a Spitfire was slightly damaged after it suffered engine trouble and clipped a
hedge on approach to land probably relates to the same one incident. The pilot of this incident was that listed below.
Pilot - P/O Aubrey Cyril Baker RAF (64892).
41 Squadron historian Mr Steve Brew reports that Aubrey Baker joined the RAF in 1935 as ground crew but he was accepted for pilot training in 1939
and later commissioned in April 1941. He had flown with 610 Squadron in the Battle of Britain and was later posted to 41 Squadron, later in May 1941
he was posted to 112 Squadron where he was awarded the DFC with this squadron in December 1942. He survived the War and left the RAF in 1946. He died in 1978.
Spitfire P8201 was built to contract B.981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to 45 MU at Kinloss on 19th
March 1941. It was taken on charge by 41 Squadron at Catterick on 5th April 1941 and sustained Cat.A/FA damaged there on 1st May 1941 as a result
of the incident recorded above. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit but on 28th July 1941 41 Squadron moved to Merston airfield and
left P8201 at Catterick, it was taken on charge the same day by 145 Squadron who moved in from Merston. On 5th December 1941 it was transferred
to the newly formed 417 Squadron at Charmy Down, during the last week of February 1942 it moved with this unit to Tain and on 6th May 1942 it
transferred to 58 OTU at Grangemouth. On 9th August 1943 it was flown to Scottish Aviation Ltd. at Prestwick but the reason for this is not
specified in it's history. It appears to have remained in storage from that point until being taken on charge by 53 OTU at Kirton in Lindsey
on 29th June 1944 but was struck off charge on 8th March 1945.