ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 171561
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 31 March 1943 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk Va |
| Owner/operator: | 53 OTU RAF |
| Registration: | P8239 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Old Wallace Farm, Wenvoe, Glamorganshire, Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Llandow, Glamorgan |
| RAF Llandow, Glamorgan |
Spitfire P8239 was built as a Mark IIa in March 1941. In October 1941 the plane was converted at ASTE to a Mark Va with a Merlin 45 engine. After conversion P8239 was issued to 53 OTU at RAF Llandow on 8 May 1942.
On the 31st of March 1943 the Spitfire was damaged beyond repair when it struck a pole during a forced landing when low on fuel in fog, near Old Wallace Farm, Wenvoe, Glamorgan. (At approximate co-ordinates 51.4302495 N, 3.3074534W)
The pilot, Sgt John Wilson CRAIGHEAD RNZAF, survived injured and his aircraft was declared Category E and struck off charge the same day.
Details:
P8239 was a Castle Bromwich aircraft and a presentation Spitfire with the text ‘SIALKOT II’.
‘History of Sialkot (Punjabi: سیالکوٹ دی تریخ; Urdu: تاريخ سیالکوٹ), the capital of Sialkot District, is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in Pakistan at the feet of the snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab River. Sialkot's modern prosperity began during the colonial era. The city had been known for its paper making and ironworks prior to the colonial era and became a centre of metalwork in the 1890s. Surgical instruments were being manufactured in Sialkot for use throughout British India by the 1920s. The city also became a centre for sports goods manufacturing for British troops stationed along with the Northwest Frontier due to the availability of nearby timber reserves. At the end of WW2, the city was considered the second most industrialised in Punjab, after Amritsar. Much of the city's infrastructure was paid for by local taxes, and the city was one of the few in British India to have its own electric utility company.’
P8239 came to the RAF books, going to No.8 MU on the 26th of March 1941. Her first squadron was to be No.64 but her stay was to be only a month, arriving on the 8th of April then leaving on the 15th of May then arriving at 603 squadron on the 16th after being picked up by squadron pilots. Nearly as soon as she arrived, less than ten days later she went to 111 squadron (known as ‘the treble one’s’.) She arrived when the squadron had nearly finished rebuilding after the heavy mauling during the Battle of Britain.
She arrived on the 25th of May in the morning, then during the afternoon she was in the hands of one S/Ldr John Sterling McLean DFC on a squadron scramble. 8 Spitfires took off with two pilots, Sgt’s Caldwell & Elphick intercepting a lone Junkers 88, which they claimed as a probable destroyed near Montrose.
On the 2nd of July 1941, one of 111 Sqn’ pilots, Sgt Edwards was posted (Flying hours expired/reached) to 53 OTU at Llandow.
On the 23rd of July the squadron was involved with their first Circus with P8239 flown again by S/Ldr McLean over Northern France. One of the squadron had intercepted three Messerschmitt Bf-109 F’s and successfully damaging one!
On the 1st of August McLean visited RAF Valley then continuing to RAF North Weald, which was to become their new base. An entry by Squadron Leader McLean read,
“Jolly over France with 2x Junkers 88’s, an Engine (Steam) shot up, along with Railway tankers and ‘E’ Boats shot up on the way home.
The next Circus took place on the 18th of August, with McLean piloting P8239. The book by Norman Franks ‘Fighter Commands Air War 1941.’ Has the following.
“Circus No.78 - 18 August
Nine Bristol Blenheims, five from 226 and four from 110 Squadrons, went for the Fives-Lille Engineering Works this Monday afternoon, escorted by North Weald’s 71, 111 and 222 Squadrons, covered by Hornchurch’s 403, 603 and 611 Squadrons, with Target Support provided by Biggin and Tangmere (72, 92, 609 and 41, 616, 610). Kenley drew the Cover Withdrawal slot (452, 485 and 602) while Rear Support was taken by 12 Group’s 56, 65 and 121 Squadrons.
Despite a discouraging 10/10ths cloud up to 6,000 feet over southern England, once nearing France this became 4/10th to 5,000 feet, then clear up to a layer of cirrus at 30,000 feet above France itself. The bombers and close escorts were to meet over Manston at 10,000 feet at 1430 but failed to do so. However, all nine raiders carried on and bombed at 1501 from 8,000 feet. Photographs confirmed hits on the north end of the Works, but all aircraft were hit to some degree by heavy flak fire. One Blenheim of 110 Squadron struggled back towards Wattisham but eventually crashed off Lowestoft, with all three aboard being lost.
With the failure of the rendezvous, 71 and 222 orbited hoping for something to happen but only 111, who had become separated from the other two squadrons, met up with the bombers and acted as escort throughout the mission. No doubt due to the cloud, Hornchurch also failed to meet up and after waiting around for thirty-five minutes, set out for the French coast. They did see seven enemy fighters, but no engagements took place. 92 lost a pilot.
Biggin Hill’s pilots saw the bombers with just one escorting squadron and joined up although 72 Squadron lost position and became separated. Eventually small numbers of 109s began to turn up but again nothing developed into actions. Tangmere, at 21,000 feet and above, headed for Lille and seeing fifteen Me109s near Hardelot, the top squadron – 41 – broke away to engage. Several dogfights ensued in which one 109 was probably destroyed and four damaged, but at the cost of two pilots. One was reported killed and the other a prisoner, although there is a suggestion they may have collided. Nevertheless, JG2’s Obfw. Josef Wurmheller claimed two Spitfires for his twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth victories, while Ltn. Walter Höhler of JG2 probably got the 92 Squadron Spitfire, bringing his score to five.
Withdrawal Cover made no contact with the enemy while 12 Group had some action, claiming 1-1-1 without loss. Neither JG26 or JG2 reported any losses.”
P8239 was to be involved with five more Circus’s and flown each time by McLean until the squadron was to be deployed overseas to the MTO (Mediterranean Theatre of Operations). P8239 went to ASTE (Air Service Training Eastleigh) for an upgrade, arriving on the 11th of October 1941. Here she received an upgraded Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 power unit and a conversion to become a mark five but with the ‘A’ wing. After completion she was ferried to 53 OTU, arriving on the 8th of May 1942. 8th of February 1943, she suffered at the hands of an inexperienced pilot during a particularly heavy landing seeing one of her wheels bursting on the runway and suffering ‘Cat C’ damage, she was easily repaired on site and back flying within a matter of weeks.
Then on the 31st of March 1943 she was force landed after her trainee pilot misjudged the fuel state and allowed the aircraft to run low, to make matters worse, there was a thick fog shrouding the land below. Seeing a gap in the fog, the pilot elected the option of a forced landing. Unfortunately for the ‘Kiwi’ pilot the area that was left open to him was particularly littered with electricity pylons and telegraph poles, electing a suitable field they struck a pole partially hidden with Ivy within a thick hedge-row. This sheared off one of the wings and spinning the aircraft into the adjacent field, happily the pilot received slight injuries and was able to extract himself and walk away. Only a short distance he saw farm buildings and made his way to them and the prospect of help. These buildings were those of ‘Old Wallace Farm’ (Spelt Walas). Sadly, P8239 was declared Cat E and SOC (Struck Off Charge).
Crew:
Sgt John Wilson Craighead 24yo 417030 RNZAF. Pilot. Injured.
Wreckage:
All removed at the time of the crash.
Additional Information:
W/O John Wilson Craighead was born in Christchurch on the 11th of November 1919. Enlisted RNZAF on the 21st of December 1941 and boarded the SS West Point for Canada on the 11th of April 1942, here he passed out from the training course at No.2 SFTS in Upland, Ontario on the 28th of August 1942. He later flew P47 Thunderbolts with 258 Sqn RAF and also saw action over the Arakan. He sadly passed away in 2001, age 82, and is buried at Green Park Cemetery, Otago. Block 4A. Plot 48.
Large scale fighter sweeps, known as ‘Rodeos’, were flown over enemy territory in fine weather at high altitude in the hope of enticing the Luftwaffe into action. But as the RAF had found in 1940, enemy fighters on their own posed a negligible threat and could safely ignored. Something was needed to persuade the enemy to come up and fight. The result was the ‘Circus’. An operation involving several squadrons of fighters covering a small raiding force of bombers acting as bait.
Sources:
1. Halley, J J, 1996, Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000 to R9999, page 75.
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p006.html
3. http://www.ggat.org.uk/timeline/pdf/Military%20Aircraft%20Crash%20Sites%20in%20Southeast%20Wales.pdf
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?8115-430331-Unaccounted-airmen-31-3-1943
5. http://ciapoldiescorner.blogspot.com/2009/03/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hamston
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Nov-2014 04:13 | angels one five | Added |
| 20-Jun-2015 09:37 | Angel dick one | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-May-2019 18:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 25-May-2019 11:45 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 05-Feb-2021 00:21 | angels one five | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation