Spitfire X4718 damaged in air, landed Catterick airfield.
On 3rd February 1941 this 54 Squadron aircraft collided in the air with Spitfire R6899 roughly over the village of Kirklington to the north of Ripon, the pilot
of this aircraft was able to make a safe return to Catterick and land where the aircraft was later repaired.
Pilot - P/O Michael John Gidman RAFVR (85939).
He remained in the RAFVR Post-War initially in the General Duties Branch but he transferred to the Aircraft Control Branch on 23rd June 1947 and was granted the temporary rank of F/Lt
(back dated to 3rd May 1944). He was granted a substantive rank of F/Lt on 1st November 1947 in the Aircraft Control Branch of the RAFVR but relinquished this commission on 23rd December
1948 when he was appointed to a temporary commission in the RAF Aircraft Control Branch under the rank of F/Lt. On 7th January 1952 he was appointed to a commission in the RAF Aircraft
Control Branch and granted the rank of F/Lt. He finally relinquished his commission in the RAF (Reserve of Officers) on 7th January 1964 having transferred back to the General Duties
Branch in the years prior to this. He died in the Brackley area of Northamptonshire in 1995 having lived in the village of Falcott prior to his death.
Michael Gidman was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire in 1920. He received his commission on 6th October 1940 to the rank of P/O on probation and was promoted to F/O (war subs)
on 6th October 1941 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 6th October 1942. Nothing is currently known about him between October 1942 and 1947.
Spitfire X4718 had a long service history. It was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Eastleigh and was first test flown on 8th November 1940. Eight days later it was flown to 9 MU at Cosford. It was initially taken on charge by 54 Squadron at Catterick on 26th January 1941 and sustained minor Cat.A/FA damage as a result of this collision on 3rd February 1941 (but there is no mention of it in the published Air Britain history to indicate any involvement in the collision). It was repaired on site and resumed use by 54 Squadron. On 23rd February 1941 54 Squadron and 41 Squadron swapped airfield, 54 Squadron moved to Hornchurch but left X4718 behind. On arrival at Catterick 41 Squadron appear to have taken on charge some of 54 Squadron Spitfires with X4718 being one of them. On 24th April 1941 the aircraft was transferred to 452 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsey soon after they formed. On 8th May 1941 it was placed in the care of 43 Group Maintenance Command. On 28th July 1941 it was taken on charge by 52 OTU at Debden but three days later it was transferred to 124 Squadron at Castletown. On 12th September 1941 it sustained minor damage, assessed as Cat.A/FA, when it hit a vehicle whilst taxying at Castletown. It was again repaired on site. On 20th September 1941 it was again damaged at Castletown when it ran off the flarepath and tipped on it's nose. Again it was assessed as having sustained Cat.A/FA damage and was repaired on site. On 10th October 1941 it was allocated to 340 Squadron which was due to form at Turnhouse on 7th November 1941 but on 2nd November 1941 it was taken on charge by 52 OTU at Aston Down where it served until 2nd July 1943 when it was transferred to 58 OTU at Grangemouth. On 14th October 1943 it sustained Cat.B/FA damage when it suffered hydraulic failure and crash landed at Grangemouth. I but was not fully repaired, it was then officially converted to a Ground Instructional Airframe 4437M on 6th December 1943 after which it was taken on charge by 14 School of Technical Training at Henlow. It was eventually struck off charge on 11th September 1944.