Spitfire X4177 at Catterick airfield.
On 14th March 1941 the pilot of this 41 Squadron aircraft was landing at Catterick when it overshot and ran into soft ground off the end of the runway, the aircraft tipped
up onto its nose and was slightly damaged. Although the pilot's fault no action was taken, he had been engaged in operational flying for some period of time, the
overshoot was put down to his tiredness and fatigue after this long period of flying and states he was a "good and experienced pilot".
Pilot - P/O Roy Clement Ford RAF (88214).
Roy Ford joined the RAF in June 1938 and after training was posted to 41 Squadron in December 1939, he was commissioned in November 1940. After service with 41 Squadron he
was posted to 4 Delivery Flight, based at Grangemouth but later joined the Merchant Ship Fight Unit (MSFU). In June 1942 he went to work for Hawker's and was a production
test pilot and saw the war out as a test pilot with 20 MU based at Aston Down. Post-war he left the RAF in 1945 but re-joined in 1947 in the Reserve and continued his RAF
service as an instructor with 18 RFS and later 15 RFS before leaving in May 1952. He died in 2002.
Spitfire X4177 was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Woolston and was first flown on 12th August 1940 and was flown to 24 MU the
following day. It had a long service history. Ten days later while about to leave Ternhill for it's delivery flight the undercarriage leg would not fully retract after taking
off so the pilot returned to Ternhill and landed but the aircraft tipped up onto its nose and was slightly damaged, Cat.M/FA damage was recorded. It was soon repaired on site
and eventually flown to 152 Squadron at Warmwell on 23rd September 1940. It was thrown straight into the Battle of Britain, two days later the then pilot damaged a Junkers
Ju88 in it but was also hit by return fire from a Heinkel HeIII and force landed near Newton St.Loe, near Bath. Cat.R/FB damage was recorded and the aircraft was taken by
road for repair in works at AST Ltd at Hamble the following day. On 11th November 1940 it was flown to 9 MU at Cosford on completion of the repairs. On 26th January 1941
it was taken on charge by 54 Squadron at Catterick but on 22nd February 1941 54 Squadron left for Hornchurch and swapped all the aircraft with 41 Squadron who moved back
to Catterick on the same date, X4177 was taken on charge by 41 Squadron on the same date. Very minor Cat.A/FA damage was recorded as a result of the incident detailed above
at Catterick on 14th March 1941 and it was repaired on site. On 18th April 1941 it was taken on charge by 452 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsey, on 1st May 1941 the port
undercarriage leg collapsed on landing there. A week later it was inspected and repaired on site, it was then transferred to 57 OTU at Hawarden on 4th June 1941 then
on 19th July 1941 to 303 Squadron based at Speke. 306 Squadron took charge of the aircraft also at Speke on 7th October 1941 in another unit swap but on 15th November
1941 it was transferred to 61 OTU at Heston. On 23rd February 1942 the pilot was part of a formation when they became lost in bad weather, this pilot split from the
formation and force landed wheels-up near South Willesborough, Kent. Cat.A/FA damage was recorded and it was repaired on site and flown out. On 15th April 1942 it moved
with the unit to Rednal, on 15th May 1942 the engine cut out in the air and the then pilot force landed with the wheels up near Wykey, Shropshire, Cat.B/FA damage was
repaired but this time the damage was deemed slightly too serious for repair on site and it was taken by road to be repaired in works over the coming days. The repair
was complete by 19th September 1942 and two days later it was flown to 38 MU at Colerne. On 1st February 1943 it was taken on charge by 58 OTU at Grangemouth, on 11th
August 1943 the undercarriage collapsed on landing at Grangemouth, again Cat.A/FA damage was recorded and the damage repaired on site. On 1st March 1944 it was taken on
charge by 1 TEU at Tealing where it briefly served until 11th August 1944 when it was flown into 8 MU at Little Rissington for long term storage. On 28th February 1945
it was flown to AST Ltd at Hamble for assessment and it was then deemed not worthy of further use and was struck off charge on 6th March 1945. On long and impressive
history though it is doubtful that much of it's underside was original in 1945!