Spitfire BL425 at Catterick airfield.
During the morning of 17th January 1942 this 145 Squadron aircraft was flown on a formation flying exercise and took off from Catterick airfield at 09.25hrs. When it came to landing at Catterick airfield at 10.15hrs the pilot the approach was made too high. The aircraft descended too late and a wing struck dispersal pen on the perimeter of the airfield. This caused the aircraft to swing around and the undercarriage hit a brick wall surrounding it. The impact caused the undercarriage to break. This was the pilot's second crash in two days, and his last flight with 145 Squadron.
Pilot - Sgt Thomas Dominic Forestell RCAF (R/75999).
Thomas Forestell trained at 61 OTU once in the UK. On 10th December 1941 he crashed Spitfire R6989 at Heston. He was posted to 611 Squadron on 23rd December 1941 and then to 145 Squadron on 6th January 1942. He crashed Spitfire AB190 at Catterick on 16th January 1942 and then Spitfire BL425 also at Catterick on 17th January 1942. He was then posted back to 611 Squadron on 19th January 1942 presumably as the commanding officer of 145 Squadron did not rate his flying abilities. He was then posted to 289 Squadron on 13th February 1942. He was then killed on 31st March 1942 when 289 Squadron Hurricane W9241 crashed into the sea off Inverness. He is buried at Inverness (Tomnahurich) Cemetery.