Spitfire AB269 at Catterick airfield.
On 29th April 1942 this 332 Squadron aircraft was damaged on a patrol by a Junkers Ju88 off the Yorkshire coast near Whitby. The pilot was able to return to base despite being injured in the eye by splintered glass and made a crash landing at Catterick and sustained further damage doing so. The Norwegian returned fire during the combat and damaged the Ju88.
Pilot - Sgt Soren Kjell Liby, of Hop, Bergen, Norway. Injured.
Soren Liby took some time to recover from the eye injuries but later served with 118 Squadron. On 16th August 1943 his Spitfire was shot down over France but he
was able to bale out and evade capture to return to England in October 1943.
Spitfire AB269 was built to contract B.19713/39 by Vickers Armstrong's (Supermarine) Ltd. at Eastleigh and was first test flown on 5th December 1941. Three days later it was flown to 33 MU at Lyneham. On 9th January 1942 it was taken on charge by 603 Squadron at Dyce who then moved to Peterhead on 14th March 1942. The aircraft was transferred to 332 Squadron at Catterick on 8th April 1942 and sustained minor Cat.A/FB damage as a result of the damage recorded above. It was repaired on site at Catterick and continued to be used by 332 Squadron, moving to North Weald on 19th June 1942 and Manston on 14th August 1942. On 19th August 1942 it failed to return from an operational sweep over France when it was damaged by a Fw190. The then pilot of Spitfire AB269 was Sgt Per Bergsland RNAF, he baled out over Dieppe and was taken prisoner of war. While held at Stalag Luft III he was one of the PoWs who escaped the camp on 24th/25th March 1944 in what became known as the legendary "Great Escape". He was one of only three escapees who evaded capture, he made it to safely in Sweden.