Spitfire ER866 at Sherburn in Elmet airfield.
At 13.25hrs on 26th October 1942 this Spitfire sustained a damaged propeller at Sherburn airfield, at the time of the minor mishap it was being taxied by a No.6 Ferry Pilot Pool ATA pilot and it was thought that a stone on the aerodrome had been sucked up into the propeller. The aircraft was mid-way on the ferry flight from Castle Bromwich to join 46 M.U. at Lossiemouth when this incident occurred.
Pilot - F/O Nariman Rustumji Mucadum ATA (M.518).
Spitfire ER866 was built to contract B.981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's at Castle Bromwich. It crashed at Sherburn in Elmet on 26th October 1942 during the ferry flight to 46 M.U. at Lossiemouth. After assessment it was deemed as being Cat.A(c)/FA damaged and it remained at Sherburn in Elmet awaiting a team from Vickers Armstrong Ltd to carry out a repair on site. On completion of repairs it was flown to 82 MU at Lichfield where on 16th November 1942 it was crated for shipping overseas. On 21st November 1942 it was loaded on to 'Bluff IV' for shipping. On 8th December 1942 it arrived at No.27 AD&RU (Aircraft Dispatch and Reception Unit) at Gibraltar. It was probably rebuilt at Gibraltar. On 28th February 1943 it is listed as being taken on charge by Northwest African Air Force at the Algiers H.Q. although it was not necessarily based there but used where needed. On 1st July 1943 it was flown to Malta and after this date nothing more of the aircraft is recorded.