Spitfire R6699 at Catterick airfield.
On 14th April 1941 this 41 Squadron aircraft undershot a night-landing at Catterick and a wheel of the aircraft hit No.22 Control Hut. A landing
was made on one wheel on the airfield but it sustained some damage which was later repaired. This was the pilot's second minor mishap in two days.
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 P7549 the day before this incident when it was damaged at Thornaby. He was later posted to 603 Squadron and killed flying on 5th
August 1941 in Spitfire X4663. He is buried in a joint grave in Noordwijk Cemetery, Holland and was aged twenty two.
Spitfire R6699 was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at their Woolston factory and was first
test flown on 5th June 1940, it was flown to 8 MU at Little Rissington the same day in preparation for issue to 609 Squadron at Northolt
two days later where it carried in the coding "PR-L". On 5th July 1940 it noved with the unit to Middle Wallop. On 25th September 1940 while
operating out of Warmwell airfield it was engaged by enemy aircraft at midday in the Bristol area and in the ensuing dog-fight it was
overstressed but the then pilot P/O P. Ostaszewski, was able to land safely at Warmwell. After inspection it was declared Cat.R/FB damaged.
On 26th September 1940 it was transported to AST Ltd, at Hamble for repair. The repair was completed by 8th November 1940 when it was flown
to 9 MU at Cosford for storage, on 26th January 1941 it was taken on charge by 54 Squadron at Catterick. It later transferred to 41 Squadron
on 22nd February 1941 at Catterick when 54 Squadron went south to Hornchurch swapping their aircraft with 41 Squadron who moved north from
Hornchurch. As a result of the incident at Catterick detailed above Cat.M damage was recorded but it was some weeks before anything was done
about repairing it. On 21st May 1941 it was assessed by 43 Group Maintenance Command and repaired on site over a period of weeks. On 18th June
1941 on completion of repair to was then taken on charge by 313 Squadron at Catterick as 41 Squadron had left. It moved to Leconfield on 1st
July 1941 when 313 Squadron moved there. On 14th August 1941 it was transferred to 61 OTU at Heston but on 24th December 1941 Cat.E2/FA damage
was recorded as a result of a flying accident when the aircraft broke up in a spin and crashed at St.Anne's Hill, Chertsey and the then pilot
Sgt B.L.Sturdy RAAF was killed.