Hurricane V7123 at Church Fenton airfield.
During the morning of 4th January 1943 this 183 Squadron aircraft was being flown on training exercise when it suffered engine failure while flying at 400 feet. The pilot made a forced belly landing on the airfield at Church Fenton but it sustained damage.
Pilot - Sgt George Felix Gillman RAFVR (1334199).
George Gillman later crashed Beaufighter MM883 on 22nd June 1945 at Bottesford with 1668 HCU.
Hurricane V7123 was built to contract 85730/39 by Gloster Aircraft Ltd. at Brockworth / Hucclecote and was awaiting collection in January 1941. After a period of MU storage at 20 MU it was taken on charge by 615 Squadron on 20th November 1940. In February 1941 it was transferred to 317 Squadron. It later served with 55 OTU from 18th June 1942 who were at Annan by that date. In September 1942 it was transferred to 32 Squadron at Baginton then on 14th December 1942 it was transferred to 183 Squadron at Church Fenton for familiarization flying, 183 Squadron was a Typhoon unit at that time. As a result of the mishap there on 4th January 1943 minor Cat.A/FA damage was the initial assessment but on 19th January 1943 it was re-assessed as Cat.B and taken for repair in works by De Havilland. Later in 1943 it was packed and shipped India on board S.S. Myrtlebank, arriving in India on 19th June 1943. It then served with 151 OTU at Risalpur, India where it joined 'C' Flt. and where it remained until being struck off charge on 31st July 1944.
This history is drawn from the aircraft's AM.78 movement card. The published Air Britain history is a completely different set of dates to those given above and I have no idea where the Air Britain researcher obtained their information.