ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 274446
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| Date: | Friday 13 February 1942 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire MkIa |
| Owner/operator: | 53 OTU |
| Registration: | R6612 |
| MSN: | 699 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | South of RAF Llandow -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Llandow |
| Return. |
Details:
This Spitfire’s record is a victim of the confusing period during the Battle of Britain with incomplete or missing records and admin’ errors. So, the following is a result of reading between the lines and hopefully the truth may become to the fore.
R6612 was built at the Eastleigh works and was number 699 off the production line. She first flew on the 17th of May 1940 and had her military equipment fitted at No’ 12 MU which some sources state was at RAF Kirkbridge but in fact it was Kirkbride in Cumbria on the 18th of that month. Its records state that on that same date she went to 238 squadron. However! On the 16th of May 1940, 238 reformed at RAF Tangmere. On the 2nd of July 1940 the squadron was declared operational and operated the Hawker Hurricane. 238 took the MkII Hurricane out to North Africa in 1941 and converted to the Spitfire Mk IX in 1943. I have investigated what squadrons where at ‘Kirkbridge’ and all that came up was that No’16 FPP and the airfield was a non-operational site, being only used for safe storage of many aircraft types.
Just to add to the confusion she is mentioned in 65 squadron records, and this is where things become very confused! (Exert from bbm.org.uk)
“On 24th July Hart flew Spitfire R6618 between 1050 and 1220 changing to Spitfire R6612 during the afternoon between 1300 and 1400. The Luftwaffe continued with isolated reconnaissance and nuisance attacks, but a much more dangerous raid took place on a convoy leaving the Medway about 1100. Eighteen Dorniers and forty 109’s from Adolf Galland’s III/JG26 attacked the convoy, 54 Squadron, helped by 610 and 65 Squadron engaged this formation.”
Looking through the squadron records within the National Archives there is one section where out of the blue R6612 is recorded as flown by Hart between 13:00 and 14:00. Then further along the records become more elaborate and what seems to be completed by the squadron Adjutant and this record states that F/O Hart took off in R6618 at 13:00 hrs!
R9912 did serve with 41 squadron from the 30th of July 1940. After researching the squadron records, her first operational flight was on the 2nd of August and flown by F/Lt Webster on a routine convoy patrol. The last entry of R6612 was on the 2nd of September flown by P/O Langley who was killed by enemy action on the 15th. Recorded on other records, R6612 was damaged on the 15th of September but nothing is recorded in the squadron records found at the National Archives. I think it is a matter of human error as she is recorded as being repaired and being sent to 610 squadron on the 7th of November. Unfortunately, the squadron records of 610 for this period are incomplete. The following month going to 602 on the 14th of December.
On the 4th of February 1941 she went to 52 OTU and on the 27th of March she suffered a category ‘B’ ground accident. After repair she came to 412 RCAF squadron on the 9th of July 1941.
412 Sqn’ was formed on the 30th of June 1941 at RAF Digby and was still undergoing training when R6612 arrived along with four other Spitfires. Mentioned in the Spitfire database she suffered damage from enemy action on the 11th of August. However, there is no mention of this incident on the squadron records or, the RAF station records! Once again confusion reigns!
On the 1st of August 1941. Sgt R. A. Ellis landed at 17:00hrs after an aerobatic flight with the undercarriage retracted due to a faulty lever. The aircraft was beyond the unit’s capability to repair. Why this confusion arose, I don’t know!
R6612 finally arrived at 53 OTU on the 23rd of that month. She served without so much as a scratch until the 13th of February 1942 when this war veteran was coming into land when the engine seized and must have blown a hose as it caught fire. The pilot knew he was too low had to make a quick forced landing in a field just south of RAF Llandow. This final incident was one too many and she was struck off charge.
Crew:
Sgt C. D. McCausland RCAF. Pilot. Injured. (Nothing more is known apart from there are no records of this pilot within the CWGC database. It appears he survived the war.)
Wreckage:
Even the exact location of the crash is confusing. The Spitfire records state the crash to be ‘Near Llanbeder (About 120 miles on the North-western Welsh Coast!)
Sources:
www.bcar.org.uk
rafassociation.ca
nationalarchives.gov.uk
rafcommands.com
www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Jan-2022 06:46 | Davies 62 | Added |
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