On 14th August 1941 this 129 Squadron aircraft ran off the runway and onto soft ground, the wheels sunk and it overturned. This aircraft was a
presentation aircraft and carried the name "Bristol Civil Defence". It was later repaired following this mishap.
Pilot - Sgt R G E Wilson (probably Raymond Gordon Wilson).
Spitfire R7194 was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Eastleight/Woolston and was first test
flown on 3rd March 1941. Two days later it was flown to 37 MU at Burtonwood but it was not issued to a unit until 24th June 1941 when it
was taken on charge by 129 Squadron at Leconfield. As a result of the incident at Leconfield on 14th August 1941 Cat.B/FA damage was
recorded, five days later it was dismantled and transported by road to AST Ltd.at Exeter for repair and during the repair it was converted
to Mk.Va status. On 28th October 1941 it was flown to 8 MU at Little Rissington where it remained until 23rd November 1941 when it was taken
on charge by 145 Squadron at Catterick. On the aircraft's movement record on 19th December 1941 it was allocated to 136 Squadron which was
a Hurricane unit and on 28th December 1941 it was allocated to 133 Squadron who were operating Mk.IIa Spitfire's, both these allocations are
probably errors as on 30th December 1941 it was taken on charge by 134 Squadron at Catterick so it is likely that the aircraft never left
Catterick between 19th and 30th December 1941. On 2nd January 1942 it was taken on charge by 133 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsey which was the
day they moved from Eglinton and converted to Mk.Va Spitfire's. On 7th April 1942 it was taken on charge by 601 Squadron at Digby, two days
later it was transferred to the newly formed 421 Squadron RCAF also at Digby. On 6th May 1942 it moved with this unit to Fairwood Common and
on the same day it sustained minor Cat.A/FA damage when the undercarriage would not lower so it was crash landed at Fairwood Common. On 10th
May 1942 repair was begun on site by a team from Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd who completed it by 16th May 1942 when it was allocated
to 601 Squadron (but again an error as they were now based in the Middle East). On 24th May 1942 it was taken on charge by 421 Squadron RCAF
at Fairwood Common, on 8th June 1942 it was flown to 33 MU at Lyneham (with problems), on 13th July 1942 it was taken to AST Ltd, at Hamble for
assessment and was immediately declared Cat.B. On 23rd July 1942 a repair in works commenced and was completed by 23rd September 1942. The
following day it was flown to Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at South Marston. On 13th October 1942 it was flown to Heston Aircraft Ltd.
at Heston then on 22nd October 1942 it was flown to Phillips & Powys at Woodley and at these various makers work was carried out on modifications
to the fuel system and wing stiffening. On 19th February 1943 it was flown to 33 MU at Lyneham and on 25th December 1943 after a long period of
storage it was taken on charge by 61 OTU at Rednal. It crashed on landing at Montford Bridge on 15th April 1944 sustaining Cat.E/FA damage when it
bounced on a night landing and overturned, and its then pilot escaped injury.
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