Spitfire EN964 at Church Fenton airfield.
At 10.40hrs on 29th November 1942 this aircraft was taxying at Church Fenton airfield from dispersal to the perimeter track without anyone on the tail to weight it down when it struck a slight ridge on the edge of the track. This caused the aircraft's tail to rise slightly and the propeller clipped the ground. The aircraft probably only sustained damage to the propeller. It was on charge with the ATA at the time, in the care of No.7 Ferry Pilot Pool, based at Sherburn in Elmet. The origin and destination of the ferry flight are not yet known.
Pilot - SO Norman Harry Iredale ATA (M.636).
Norman Iredale was born on 15th January 1922 in Leeds. He qualified for a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate on 16th September 1946 (Cert.No.21786) but appears to have simply taken the qualifying test on his own accord rather than at a flying club or school. On his RAeC card it states that he served/was serving in the RAF. He died in Pontefract in 2004.
Spitfire EN964 was built to contract B.981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Castle Bromwich. It was initially delivered to 33 MU at Lyneham on 19th May 1942 and a month later on 14th June 1942 it was allocated to 501 Squadron at Colerne but during the same day was taken on charge by 118 Squadron at Ibsley. 118 Squadron then moved to Tangmere on 16th August 1942 and to Zeals on 24th August 1942. On 25th August 1942 it sustained damage with Cat.B/FB being the assessment which resulted in a repair in works being needed. With the repair complete it was collected from the (as yet) unknown repair site by a pilot from 7 Ferry Pilot Pool near to 29th November 1942. WHile being flown on the delivery flight it sustained Cat.A/FA damage at Church Fenton, as stated at the top of this webpage. It was repaired on site and was then flown into storage. After a long period of storage it was delivered to 313 Squadron on 15th April 1943 who were based at Church Stanton. 313 Squadron moved to Peterhead on 28th June 1943 but on 4th July 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 66 Squadron at Church Stanton (which would suggest the aircraft was not serviceable when 313 Squadron left Church Stanton a few days earlier so was taken up by the newly arriving squadron when it was repaired a few days later) On 10th August 1943 it moved with 66 Squadron to Redhill, on 13th August 1943 with the unit to Kenley and on 17th September 1943 with the unit to Perranporth. On 8th November 1943 it was flown to Cunliffe Owen Ltd. at Eastleigh. On 14th February 1944 it was transferred to the R.N.D.A. but remained in storage. In June 1944 it was taken on charge by 808 Squadron FAA at Lee on Solent before being placed in MU storage the following month. On 12th May 1945 it was returned to RAF charge but remained in storage. On 17th September 1945 it was flown to 52 MU (Packing Depot) at Pegham Moors, Cardiff. In November 1945 it was converted to ground instructional airframe number 5585M at 1 DATP at Southport before being transferred abroad on 27th February 1946 to the Armee De L'Air.