An explanation for this sad incident may be found in the excellent talk on
Handling Qualities of WW2 Fighters given in March 2004 by Dave Southwood to the Flight Test Group of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Mr. Southwood began by explaining that older aircraft, such as those with tailwheels or powerful piston engines, require different handling skills to those of today although the ability of current pilots is as high as that of previous generations.
The engine torque and propeller slipstream produce considerable effects and tailwheel aircraft are inherently unstable on the ground. Probably the greatest vice of the Spitfire is that it is very 'tail light' due to a short longitudinal moment arm of the CG from the mainwheels …. sharp brake inputs or large power increases without full aft stick inevitably cause the tail to leave the ground …
A particular problem can occur during engine checks at high power. The thrust line is above the mainwheels and produces a powerful nose down pitching moment that is opposed by the moment of the CG about the mainwheels and the aerodynamic down force on the tailplane and elevator due to propwash and any headwind component. If the tail should rise, closing the throttle will reduce the problematic nose down moment due to the thrust. However, it will also reduce the propwash over the tailplane and elevators, thus reducing the aerodynamic tail down moment and often making the tail rise even further.
Unfortunately, once the tail has started to rise in this situation there is often no recovery.
A friend had a similar experience with the RR Spitfire XIV which he brought to our air display about 35 years ago. At that time I was de facto airfield manager (involved clearing up, driving digger and mower etc, all unpaid of course) and went ballistic when I spotted a line of foot-long slashes down our new runway surface. Who the ****** drove the tracked digger down the runway, I demanded. Turns out that my friend had unknowingly tipped the Spitfire prop when he opened up on takeoff, each slash being from a tip of its five-bladed prop. Its performance was not affected.