Spitfire L1059

[AL90]

Does any kind person know if Spitfire L1059 saw combat as it was on strength of 603 squadron from 16/09/39 to 4/6/40 when it joined 266 sqn until being declared Cat2 after colliding with a building at Wittering on approach on 9/8/40. After repair it went to 58OTU where it was destroyed in a crash on 14/2/41.

Thanks,
Alan.

[PeterColwill]

The answer apparently is no. L1059 landed on top of L1047 on 1st October 1939 and was packed off to AST Hamble for rebuild. It was then issued direct to 266 and did not return to 603.
i
The full story of the acciident is in David Ross's excellent "The Greatest Squadron of Them All"
cheers peter

[AL90]

Thanks Peter,
I have a typo in my records as I had the accident with L1047 as being L1057.

Alan.

[AndyL]

If you're researching L1059, I have a photo of the pilot killed flying it while with 58 OTU. Let me know if it's of any use to you.

[AL90]

Thanks Andy,
That would be greatly appreciated.
I'll send PM with 'e' mail address.

Alan.

[Mikkydog]

First post on here gents, I live adjacent to the field where L1059 crashed and have done since 1970. I thought you may like to know that this aircraft was excavated on Sunday, I believe largely intact, I am a personal friend of the guy who was the digger operator who excavated it. I will contact him tomorrow for a full update and hopefully he has taken photo's.
Incidentally the site was about 100m from where I believed it to be for all of those years.

[whitley_project]

Hi Mikkydog - welcome and thanks for posting. I'd love to see the pics if possible.