Spitfire R6697 at Driffield airfield.
On 17th April 1941 this 485 Squadron aircraft suffered engine failure as it neared it's Driffield base, the pilot belly landed the aircraft on the airfield and it sustained some damage.
Pilot - P/O Richard Barrett RNZAF (391324), of Auckland City, New Zealand.
Richard Barrett also was forced to land Spitfire X4662 near Market Weighton some eleven days prior to this incident at Driffield. F/Lt Barrett was killed
flying Mustang FX993 with 65 Squadron on 17th May 1944 and is buried in Frederikshavn Cemetery, Denmark. He was twenty four years old.
Spitfire R6697 was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd at Woolston and was first test flown on 6th June 1940. The
following day it was flown to 8 MU at Little Rissington and was quickly moved on a day later to 64 Squadron at Hornchurch who took the aircraft on charge.
On 4th August 1940 its pilot made a wheels up landing in error at dusk at Kenley airfield and the aircraft overturned and was designated as Cat.R/FA. On
7th August 1940 it was dismantled by 49 MU (Salvage) from Faygate and prepared for road transport to AST Ltd., at Hamble, arriving there on 10th August
1940. On 2nd September 1940 on completion of the repair it was flown to 9 MU at Cosford on 6th September 1940 it was take on charge by 41 Squadron at
Hornchurch. Here after the aircraft's history becomes unclear and is missing in places. At the end of November 1940 41 Squadron had converted to Spitfires
MkII's so the aircraft must have gone elsewhere and a gap of three months appears in the history. It probably transferred to 611 Squadron at Digby on 30th
November 1941 and then moved with the unit to Rochford on 14th December 1940. On 27th January 1941 it moved with the unit to Hornchurch but on the move
again on 30th March 1941 when it was taken on charge by 485 Squadron at Driffield where it sustained Cat.M(c)/FA on 17th April 1941 as stated above. On
4th May 1941 it was transported to Heston Aircraft Ltd. at Heston for repair and here a long gap appears before the aircraft was given a ground instructional
airframe serial of 2842M on 3rd December 1941 and on paper it passed into the care of No.5 School of Target Towing at Locking however they would probably
have little use for it at Locking being a Radio School and was struck off charge on 18th December 1941. Whether it was ever repaired and flew again after
this mishap at Driffield in April 1941 is not yet known.