Spitfire BM126 at Catterick airfield.
During the afternoon of 8th May 1942 several 332 Squadron aircraft were flown on a training exercise and as part of the exercise the squadron were to land at Catterick airfield. Spitfire BL533 had landed but the pilot of this aircraft taxied too slowly down the last third of the runway in use. At 17.00hrs Spitfire BM126 landed behind BL533 but it was travelling too quickly. BM126 had not cleared the runway by the time BM126 came down it behind it and a collision occurred. Both aircraft were damaged.
Pilot - Sgt Nils Ringdal RNoAF (118).
Spitfire BM126 was built to contract B.981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to 37 MU at Burtonwood on 8th March 1942. It was initially then taken on charge by 602 Squadron on 26th March 1942 at Kenley. Three days later it was taken or flown to De Havillands at Hatfield for a repair (possibly a propeller problem). With this problem corrected it was then taken on charge by 332 Squadron 21st April 1942 at Catterick. As result of the collision at Catterick on 8th May 1942 minor Cat.A/FA damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site. It was then lost on 7th June 1942 following a scramble to intercept enemy aircraft off Blyth, Northumberland and the aircraft crashed into North Sea with the loss of the then pilot Sgt Per Schonberg. Cat.Em/FB damage was recorded on the paperwork.