Spitfire P9335 near Cayton, Yorkshire.
On 17th February 1943 this aircraft was flown by a pilot of No.4 Aircraft Delivery Flight from Eshott airfield (where it had been on charge with 57 O.T.U.) to an unknown airfield. Prior to taking off from Eshott airfield the pilot did not obtain a weather forecast for the whole route and while he appears to have then landed at Catterick, probably to refuel he checked the forecast there. He then headed south and attempted to get through the bad weather but must have become lost. In poor weather he made a forced landing with the wheels up in a field at 14.25hrs. The location given on the AM Form 1180 is "Cayton, Yorkshire", Cayton is near Scarborough. Other historians have previously suggested Clayton, near Bradford, as the location.
Pilot - Sgt C A Ebner RAFVR (1346700).
Spitfire P9335 was built to contract B.981687/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Castle Bromwich and was first flown on 12th February 1940. On 1st March 1940 it was flown to 27 MU at Shawbury. It was then taken on charge by 249 Squadron at Leconfield on 20th May 1940 and moved with them to Church Fenton on 8th July 1940. On 22nd July 1940 it was transferred to 7 O.T.U. at Hawarden and on 20th August 1940 sustained minor Cat.A(c) damage in an unknown incident. A repair in works by No.1 C.R.U. at Cowley followed and with that complete it was taken on charge by 41 Squadron at Hornchurch on 11th October 1940. On 24th October 1940 it was transferred to 611 Squadron at Digby and on 12th December 1940 sustained minor Cat.A(c)/FB but the reason is not yet known. It was repaired on site and then moved with the squadron to Rochford on 14th December 1940, Hornchurch on 27th January 1941 and Rochford on 20th May 1941. On 16th June 1941 it was transferred to 57 O.T.U. at Hawarden. On 2nd September 1941 it was transferred to 61 O.T.U. at Heston and moved with them to Rednal on 15th April 1942. On 16th June 1942 it was transferred back to 57 O.T.U. at Hawarden and moved to Eshott with them on 10th November 1942. On 17th February 1943 it was being flown elsewhere by a pilot of No.4 Delivery Flight (based at Turnhouse) when it sustained repairable damage. The damage was either Cat.A (which would probably be a repair on site) or Cat.B (which would probably require a repair in a works factory). Later in 1943 the aircraft appears on charge again with 61 O.T.U. at Rednal which may have been where it was heading when it crashed in February 1943. Later in 1943 it transferred to 53 O.T.U. at Kirton in Lindsey. There is a mention of the aircraft being at D.H.Ltd. at Hartfield from 12th November 1943 but how this fits in with the post-February 1943 units it served with is not yet known. It was struck off charge in August 1944.