Hurricane KZ663 at Leconfield airfield.
During the morning of 12th December 1943 this Air Fighting Development Unit aircraft was flown on a training flight. The pilot made a normal approach to land at Leconfield airfield, he lowered the undercarriage and noticed that the green undercarriage lights were correctly lit. He then landed at 10.52hrs but the undercarriage leg or legs had begun to fold just prior to touching down so they then collapsed when it was on the ground. It was thought that after the pilot had correctly moved the undercarriage lever to lower the legs he then moved the controls back.
Pilot - W/O Jack Edward Woodey RAAF (411625).
Jack Woodey was born on 5th March 1920 at Bowral, New South Wales, Australia. He enlisted for RAAF service on 24th May 1941 at Sydney. After pilot training he was awarded his pilot's wings on 1st April 1942. He left Australia for the UK on 24th August 1942 and once in the UK he trained at 17 (P)AFU and 52 OTU before posting to 453 Squadron on 18th September 1943. On 25th November 1943 he was posted to the AFDU and on 28th January 1944 he went to 276 Squadron. On 11th April 1944 he was posted to 131 Squadron and was then killed on 7th June 1944 when Spitfire MB883 crashed in France. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Hurricane KZ663 was built to contract 62305/39Vb by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. at either the Brooklands or Langley factory. It was flown to 44 MU at Edzell on 21st April 1943 and was taken on charge by the AFDU at Wittering on 9th July 1943. The unit began a detachment at Leconfield on 21st July 1943. On 12th December 1943 it was slightly damaged at Leconfield which saw a Cat.Ac/FA damage assessment made. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 30th January 1944 it was slightly damaged in a mishap at Holme on Spalding Moor that saw a Cat.Ac/FA damage assessment. A repair on site commenced on 26th February 1944. On 4th March 1944 it was transferred to No.1689 Bomber (Defence) Training Flight at Holme on Spalding Moor. On 21st November 1944 it was transferred to 1652 HCU at Marston Moor. On 17th July 1945 it went to 22 MU at Silloth and was struck off charge on 31st March 1946.