Spitfire IX MJ411 near Catfoss airfield / Leven?

During the afternoon of Friday, 3rd August 1945 six No.1 Squadron Spitfires were flown on a combined formation flying exercise that then involved combat flying practic that would see them subject to a mock attack by two other Spitfires to give the pilots combat flying and then dog fighting experience, what I presume was to give the six pilots experience in attempting to take evasive action and avoid being followed by the mock-attacking aircraft. The squadron was based at Hutton Cranswick at the time. The six Spitfires undertook the formation flying part of the exercise, the two additional Spitfires then made their attack and the original six broke formation. Thirty seconds later two of these six, Spitfire MJ411 collided with Spitfire MJ873, roughly over the general Catfoss airfield area. Spitfire MJ411 began to break up in the air and crashed killing the pilot but where MJ411 crashed is unclear though near Leven village has been quoted elsewhere in modern publications. The pilot of Spitfire MJ873 lost control but was able to bale out and while sustaining injuries he survived. MJ873 appears to have crashed just east of the airfield boundary into a field.

Pilot - F/Sgt Thomas Jeffery RAF (570389), aged 24. Buried Rawdon (St.Peter) Churchyard, Yorkshire (D.439).