ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 309886
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| Date: | Tuesday 6 April 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire MkIa |
| Owner/operator: | 53 OTU |
| Registration: | L1071 |
| MSN: | 286 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Llandow perimeter. -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | RAF Llandow |
| Return. |
Details:
L1071 was number 286 off the production line at the Eastleigh works and first flew on the 26th of July 1939. She then presented to the RAF at 27 Maintenance Unit on the 31st of July at RAF Shawbury. Her one and only squadron was No.609, coming on squadron strength on the 6th of September of that year.
No. 609 Squadron was formed on the 10th of February 1936 at RAF Yeadon, now Leeds Bradford International Airport, as the ninth of the 21 flying squadrons of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. In June of that year, it received the Hawker Hart light bomber, which gave way in December 1937 to Hawker Hinds. On the 8th of December 1938, 609 Squadron was transferred to Fighter Command, but was not equipped with fighters until the introduction of the Spitfire one’s in August 1939. At this point the squadron was still manned by part-time civilians and because Spitfires were in short supply the squadron used three Fairey Battle light bombers as training aircraft to convert pilots from the fixed undercarriage biplane Hinds to much more modern monoplane Spitfire with its retractable undercarriage.
On the 3rd of September 1939 the squadron endured its first day of mobilization on the announcement of war. On the 6th of September three pilots. F/O D P Joynt, F/O A R Edge, P/O J C Dundas & P/O J Dawson were tasked to fly to RAF Shawbury and collect Spitfires L1058, L1060, L1065 & L1071. Unfortunately, who flew what aircraft went unrecorded. The squadron suffered its first accident with a Spitfire the following day when P/O Edge tried to land without undercarriage. Unfortunately, what aircraft flew and by who did not start to be recorded in detail until January 1940. The first operational recorded flight took place on the 24th of January in the control of F/O Beamount on a Dawn Patrol as part of ‘B’ Flight. L1071 became his regular Spitfire, which was quite common during the early stage of the war, the pairing became heavily involved in the ‘Phoney War’. She appears on the 18th of March 1940.
“Green section to relieve Blue patrolling Agent at Dunbar (2 machines).”
After this it is recorded that L1071 went to MMO (Morris Motors Oxford) on the 29th of March. During the War, production at the plant was largely turned over to military production, including aircraft construction, munitions, and aeroplane repairs. The same area also housed the Civilian Repair Unit (the headquarters were in the Military College) where damaged planes were stored, stripped, or repaired (sometimes on a ‘while you wait’ basis). Why L1071 came here is not known.
On the 7th of July 1940 she came to 5 OTU, there receiving ‘Cat B’ damage on the 9th of September. Repaired, her next posting was to 58OTU on the 14th of January 1941 at
RAF Grangemouth located 3 miles Northeast of Falkirk.
L1071 was to come to 53 OTU and ferried by F/O C L Park (USA), a member of No.4 Ferry Pilots Pool and suffered its undercarriage collapse on landing at Preswick on the 29th of October 1941, categorised ‘C’ and repaired on site.
She operated with 53 without any further incident for over a year when on the 6th of April 1943, this unlucky Spitfire suffered another incident, when at 6,000 feet the Merlin engine stalled. Her pilot was approaching the final phase of training on type and had enough experience to be able to glide her back to Llandow. Because of the ‘dead’ engine he had no hydraulic power to the undercarriage and flaps leaving him no option but to conduct a wheels up landing, unfortunately, he received severe head injuries after hitting his head on the gunsight. The post-crash investigation found the engine had suffered a severe Glycol leak which caused the engine to overheat and stall. It was thought she could be repaired and received ‘Cat’ B report. During the repair work she was re-cat’ to E on the 28th and written off going for spares.
Crew:
F/O A F S Somers 120609 RAFVR. Injured. Safe. (Killed on the 21st of May 1944)
Son of Arthur Joseph and Phyllis Dorothy Somers of Chislehurst, Kent. His brother Derek Street Somers also was lost during the war.
Buried:
Beach head War Cemetery Anzio. XXI. F.11.
Wreckage:
Nothing.
Additional Information:
The American ferry pilot of No.4 FPP was sadly killed transporting an ex-34 squadron Hawker Hind K6838 on the 30th of January 1942 when it flew into the ground on Eaglesham Moor, Renfrewshire. He originated from Salem in Missouri and was 32 years of age when he died.
He is buried at Paisley (Woodside) Cemetery. Compt 10. Grave 54.
F/O Somers recovered from his injuries and after passing through the remainder of training, went on to fly with 145 squadron.
The following is an extract from his last action.
“At 18.20 hours 8 a/c. took off to give area cover to 24 BALTIMORES bombing in the VELLETRI area. At 18.30 Hrs. before the bombers arrived GRUBSTAKE reported 20+ Bandits E. of ROME going S.
SPITS at A.15 - 17 flying N.W. up HIGHWAY 6 due E. of VELLETRI ran head on into 20+ Fw. 190's with 4 Me. 109's above. Some if not all of the Fw.'s were bombed up. The C.O. led the Squadron into attack and rapidly accounted for 2 Fw.190's. The first he fired at from 150 yards astern seeing strikes all over the E/A bits flying off it which went straight in at G.0961. He then quickly closed in on a second Fw. fired from 250 yards as E/A was on its back seeing strikes just forward of the cockpit and the pilot baled out from 14,000' G.0765. C.O. then found the bombers and escorted them to the target - a point 6 miles N.E. of VELLETRI.
Meanwhile F/O J.S. EKBERY chased 3 Fw.190's fired on one in a dive at 3,000' from 200 yards hitting it in the Port Wing and Fuselage and black smoke poured from the E/A which went down from 1,000' like a falling leaf (G.0162). He then turned into a second Fw.190 and lost sight of the first. Claim 1 Fw.190 PROBABLY DESTROYED. Firing at the second E/A from 200 yards astern he saw strikes on fuselage and Wings and the pilot baled out at 1,000' at G.0162. Claim 1 Fw.190 Destroyed. He then saw a third Fw.190 turning to Port 6 miles E. of ROME at 500'. Catching him up rapidly he fired from 150 yards quarter astern striking Fuselage and Port Wing. E/A went into a vertical dive and crashed at F.9159. Claim 1 Fw.190 DESTROYED.
F/LT. J. WOOLER chased 3 Fw.190's and singled out one of them as it dived to ground level and fired from 150 yards astern. E/A blew up in the air, area F.79 believed to be still carrying bomb. Claim 1 Fw.190 DESTROYED. LT. G.E. MILBORROW attacked 1 Fw.190 hitting it in the fuselage, on the side of the Cockpit and also to the rear of it. He was then himself attacked and turned steeply to Port as he saw Tracer streaking past his Wing Tip, losing the Fw.190. Claim 1 Fw.190 DAMAGED. Flying S. he saw 2 Fw.190's below him at 400' going N. he dived on one, fired from 50 yards astern seeing strikes all over E/A. the pilot of which baled out from 400 feet and E/A crashed at G.8595 having covered MILBORROW's aircraft with oil. He then dived with the other Fw. without result.
LT. J.M.G. ANDERSON chased 1 Fw.190 Northwards on the deck firing from 250 then 150-200 yards astern. Seeing strikes first on Tail then on the Port side of the engine. He then pulled up turned and saw E/A. crash into hillside F.99 area and blow-up. Claim 1 Fw.190 DESTROYED.
F/SGT. J.C. STIRLING chased several Fw.190's Northward sand after fired at one or two without observing results he picked out one and fired from 75-100 yards astern seeing strikes all along the fuselage pieces flying off. He then saw the Cockpit was in flames and the E/A. crashed in flames at F.7596. - Claim 1 Fw.190 DESTROYED. Returning home STIRLING encountered 4 or 5 Fw. 190's which he fired at without observing results.
F/LT. A.F.S. SOMER did not return from this operation. He was last seen going into action at 15,000' when E/A were first sighted. His a/c. was completely under control and apparently O.K. No message of any kind was heard over the R.T. We hope for the best.
The total bag for the day was - 8 Fw.190's DESTROYED - 1 PROBABLY DESTROYED - 1 DAMAGED.”
Sources:
www.ghostbombers.com
www.cwgc.org
www.rafcommands.com
www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire
www.discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
www.findagrave.com
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 9 September 1940 | L1071 | 5 OTU RAF | 0 | RAF Aston Down, Gloucestershire, England | |
sub |
| Heavy landing | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Mar-2023 19:49 | Davies 62 | Added |
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