Spitfire BL572 near Bishop Burton.
During the evening of 29th June 1942 this 308 Squadron aircraft was one of a number that undertook a formation flying training exercise in the general East Yorkshire area. This aircraft's engine began to run rough after around twenty minutes flying so the pilot broke away from the formation and set course for his home airfield at Hutton Cranswick. While descending and flying over the Yorkshire Wolds at 2500 feet engine bagen to emit white smoke. The pilot then opted to descend swiftly and he made a forced landing in a field at 19.00hrs at High Gardham Farm, two miles west of Bishop Burton. An investigation found that the engine failure was due to a flaw in materials used in an inlet valve.
Pilot - Sgt Witold Aleksander Herbst PAF (P/781272).