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| Date: | Tuesday 21 November 1939 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 74 (Tiger) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K9868 |
| MSN: | 86 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cherbourg-Octeville, Department of Manche, Normandy -
 France
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hornchurch, Essex |
K9868 Spitfire Mk I (c/no.86). First Flown 15-2-39. Delivered to 74 Squadron 15-2-39 at RAF Hornchurch, Essex (as "ZP-D"). Written off in a crash landing at Cherbourg-Octeville, Department of Manche, Normandy, France 21-11-39: forced landed in bad weather and overturned on touchdown.
According to the 74 Squadron Operational Record Book/Diary: "On the following day (21-11-39) three Spitfires were on patrol near Cherbourg, but"[all three] "eventually had to force land in France, short of fuel, having been vectored on to 54 Squadron aircraft and straying out of R/T range. Unfortunately Thom wrote his aircraft off. Treacy and Bushell refuelled and took off successfully the following day for the return to Hornchurch. Thom took a slower route home by rail and sea."
"Thom" is identified as being Flt Lt D.S. Thom, a Canadian, and his aircraft was K9868. Damaged airframe recovered to 21 Aircraft Depot 5-12-39. Declared to have been damaged beyond economic repair and Struck Off Charge 9-2-40.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1976 page 79)
2. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?2925-Spitfire-K9968
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p001.html
4. https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?128502-No-74-Squadron-Spitfire
5. http://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/K9868
6. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?p=143378
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jan-2011 01:30 | angels one five | Added |
| 25-Nov-2011 12:51 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Narrative, ] |
| 25-Dec-2011 06:04 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, ] |
| 10-Jan-2012 16:27 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, ] |
| 15-Jan-2012 02:23 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, ] |
| 22-Jan-2012 19:55 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative, ] |
| 05-May-2012 12:13 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-May-2012 00:27 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, ] |
| 05-Nov-2012 00:05 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-Jan-2014 00:06 | angels one five | Updated [Operator, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Jun-2015 15:47 | King | Updated [Operator, ] |
| 01-May-2018 14:46 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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