ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 230017
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| Date: | Thursday 18 July 1940 |
| Time: | 10:00 LT |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Ia |
| Owner/operator: | 610 (County of Chester) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | P9452 |
| MSN: | 615 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | English Channel, North of Calais, Pas de Calais -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Biggin Hill, Bromley, Kent |
P9452: Spitfire Ia (c/no. 615) First Flown 5-4-40. Delivered to the RAF at 8 MU Little Rissington 8-4-40. Issued to 610 (County of Chester) Squadron 2-6-40 as 'DW-T'. Shot down by Bf109 off Calais 18-7-40. Pilot - P/O P Litchfield - killed.
According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1140): "Spitfire P9452 lost in air operations over the English Channel, 18 July 1940. Pilot Officer P Litchfield: missing presumed dead"
Peter Litchfield was born in Croydon on 30th April 1915 and joined the RAFVR about December 1937 as an Airman (Under Training) Pilot. Called up on 1st September 1939, he completed his training, was commissioned and joined 610 (County of Chester) Squadron early in 1940.
On 14th July 1940 Litchfield severely damaged a Me 109 in a combat action off Dover. The pilot baled out and the aircraft crashed near Boulogne. On 18th July 1940, four days later, Peter Litchfield was shot down north of Calais over the Channel in Spitfire P9452 by Hptm. Tietzen of II/JG51. He was reported 'Missing', aged 25. As no trace of Spitfire P9452 or its pilot was ever found, he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 9.
Crew of Spitfire P9452:
Pilot Officer Peter Litchfield (Pilot) RAF 76461, aged 24 - posted as missing, presumed killed in combat 18/07/1940, commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1140: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14503079
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1078775/litchfield,-peter/
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p009.html
5. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Litchfield.htm
6. http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/pilots/Li-pilots.htm
7. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=22952&postcount=4
8. https://zh-cn.facebook.com/BigginHillMMT/posts/2342358546012991
9. https://www.battleofbritain1940.net/0021.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Oct-2019 15:23 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 17-Oct-2019 15:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 27-Oct-2019 22:03 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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