41 Sq Spitfire forced landing before WW2,N.Yorkshire

[Toml]

Hi-Can anyone help to provide the exact date for this Spitfire forced landing or if anyone has the full No.41 Squadron Operations Record Book.A photograph exists of this forced landing showing a Spitfire being pulled by rope up a road.
The Spitfire had made a landing in a North Yorkshire cornfield due to running out of fuel and it was then pulled by rope up a road to another field where it took off.This photograph is in the following book,"Spitfire The Combat History" by Robert Jackson on page 30.The Spitfire was of course from Catterick and in the photograph it is a twin propellor aircraft.This incident I am sure must have been mentioned in the local newspapers.It would be even better if the serial number was also known if it was mentioned in the ORB.

Regards,Philip
55 Aircraft Accidents Research Group

[Alex Smart]

Hello Philip,

Here are the 41 Sq details for Pre WW2.
1938 - nil
1939
30-01-39...K9831 - belly landing, became 1362M.
16-03-39...K9838 - lost wing, Eryholm, York, Sgt. George Verdun Serjeant ,the pilot killed.
30-03-39...K9855 - C/L to 1646M.
03-04-39...K9845 - belly landed became 1479M.
27-04-39...K9856 - Fire in flight Crash landed.
23-05-39...K9842 - Stalled in night landing.
08-06-39...K9837 - belly landed became 1628M.
18-07-39...K9888 - flew into hill Appleby, Cumb, pilot, Sgt. Mitchell killed.
Next 41 Sq a/c was
14-09-39...K9849 - Pilot Officer James Copley was killed.
All for now
Alex

[Steve Brew]

Hi Philip

My records almost match Alex's but I have a little more info that may also interest you:

27JAN39; MacDonald, D. S.; Spit I; K9848; NI; Wheels in mud on landing, onto nose, Brize Norton
30JAN39; Wallace, G. E.; Spit I; K9831; NI; Wheels-up landing, forgot to lower undercarriage, Ctk
16MAR39; Serjeant, G. V.; Spit I; K9838; KFA; Wing broke off recovering from dive, Eryholme, Yks
30MAR39; Wickham, P. R. W.; Spit I; K9855; NI; Overshot runway in rain, hit hedge, onto nose, Ctk
03APR39; Unknown Pilot; Spit I; K9845; NI; Wheels-up landing, Ctk
20APR39; Gillies, J.; Spit I; K9848; NI; Struck fence and overturned, 4m NW Ctk
27APR39; Webster, J. T.; Spit I; K9856; NI; Fire during flight, pulling out of steep dive at speed, Ctk
23MAY39; Robertson, C.; Spit I; K9842; NI; EF/CL during night flying exercise, Ctk
08JUN39; Blatchford, H. P.; Spit I; K9837; NI; Wheels-up landing, forgot to lower undercarriage, Ctk
21JUN39; Overall, H. E. H.; Spit I; K9846; NI; Hit mower with port wing on landing, Dishforth
18JUL39; Mitchell, K.; Spit I; K9888; KFA; Hit mountain in zero visibility during storm, Pennines

It won't be easy to work out exactly which one of these is 'yours', but at least there are several you can strike out as definitely not the aircraft you're looking for. These are all the recorded pre-War 41 Squadron Spitfire accidents / incidents.

Regards
Steve

[paulmcmillan]

41 Sqn ORB is at http://www.oldrafrecords.com but has absolutely no detail on Spitfiure losses and does not even mention Serjeant and Mitchell's deaths

[paulmcmillan]

I am sure this has come up before either here or elsewhere..

Have you got a copy of the photo and how do you know the details in the back story re: cornfield, pulled by rope and then flew out?

Paul