Spitfire EP119 at Catfoss airfield.
On 8th February 1945 this Central Gunnery School aircraft was in the process of landing at Catfoss airfield when it over-ran the runway and crashed into an ajoining field. The aircraft was not repaired.
Pilot - F/Lt Michael Plaistowe Kilburn DFC RAFVR (116807).
He received a commission on 4th November 1941. On 24th September 1942 he was awarded the DFC, the Citation for this reads.."This officer has participated in a large number of operational sorties. During the recent Dieppe operations, P/O Kilburn participated in four sorties. He is a skilful pilot, and has destroyed at least two and damaged several more hostile aircraft." He was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre during War for service over France, probably after D-Day. Rising through the ranks he flew with 316 Squadron and commanded 56 Squadron (believed to have been until May 1945). He was probably at the Central Gunnery School for a training course rather than instructing. Hugh Halliday's awards research reports that "during the period 6th June 1944 until the liberation of Paris, F/Lt Kilburn was engaged in operations in No.11 Group area during which time he participated in 36 operational sorties in support of the invasion and liberation of France. F/Lt Kilburn is an outstanding flight commander who has led the squadron with much success”.
He remained in the RAF after the War and F/Lt Kilburn relinquished on 8th July 1952. He took up a position with Glosters as chief test pilot where he oversaw the development of the Meteor and the early Javelin before moving to DH and as chief test pilot of the ill-fated Comet aircraft. He moved to North America in the mid 1960's to carry out a similar role for De Havilland.
Michael Kilburn was serving with 124 Squadron on 30th September 1941 who were based in northern Scotland, on this date he was flying a patrol of the north-west coast around Cape Wrath when the aircraft suffered engine failure. He force landed on the beach at Sandwood Bay without injury. He was able to strip out some of the removable equipment from the aircraft before the tide ruined it. In April 2016 correspondance I had with his daughter more detail was learnt. Because of the location of the landing he was not able to leave the general area of the beach and the easiest way to rescue him was from the sea; both ends of Sandwood Bay have steep cliffs and also the area he made the landing was in very soft, wet sand. Before force-landing he must have transmitted his position as it only took some twenty minutes for an air-sea rescue aircraft to locate him. Supplies were later dropped from another 124 Squadron aircraft but with his position known a Navy destroyer was despatched to assist him, they sent a rowing boat to pick him up. He was stranded on the beach for around a day and a half before being rescued. Service personnel at the Sheigra Royal Navy Wireless Direction Finding Station are listed as sending a party to assist. The bulk of the wreckage was not removed from the beach and was left to the sea to destroy it. Today the engine block is still in the sands.