Spitfire BL962 at Acaster Malbis airfield.

On 12th March 1942 601 Squadron were in the process of moving from Church Fenton airfield to Acaster Malbis airfield. The weather around this date had been poor, it had snowed in the days before 12th March and on this morning. The flying area at Acaster Malbis was in a poor state with waterlogged areas of grass. The airfield appears to have still been a grass field at the time rather than a concrete runway arrangement. This aircraft was about to take off at Acaster Malbis at 15.00hrs to carry out a formation flying exercise and the pilot opened the throttle. Unfortunately the main wheels had already got bogged down in wet grass the aircraft and the wheels did not move when the power was increased. The aircraft flipped up onto it's nose and was slightly damaged. Two other Spitfires also had become bogged down on landing. The transfer of aircraft was halted for the rest of the day.

Pilot - Sgt Gordon MacDiarmid MacKinnon RAFVR (1380447).

Gordon MacKinnon was uninjured as a result of this incident and was back in the air flying another aircraft just four hours later. 601 Squadron were posted overseas later in 1942 and Sgt MacKinnon went with them, serving with 601 Squadron until around mid-September 1942. He was then posted to 73 Squadron and was posted as missing soon after joining them on 21st October 1942. He was twenty one years old and has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.

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