Spitfire crash landing in Scotland WW11
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El Grifo, no way am I'm disrespecting your op, just want a name, seeing this gentleman was know to you (did he not introduce himself) and your a good description of his attire, also the hotel he stayed at. Somewhere (hotel guest book) there must be a name for this guy!!!!!!!! Do a little digging at you pals hotel.
Daz
Back to my Regiment dinner.
Daz
Back to my Regiment dinner.
Thread Starter
I did correct myself and explain that it was more of a B+B.
It was run in those days by a 65 year old woman, to expect her still to have records is pure fantasy.
I have no recollection of the gentlemans name jusy a vivid recall of the event and how he looked.
Even now I can be introduced to somone and forget the name by the time I have drawn the next breath.
Enjoy your dinner !
It was run in those days by a 65 year old woman, to expect her still to have records is pure fantasy.
I have no recollection of the gentlemans name jusy a vivid recall of the event and how he looked.
Even now I can be introduced to somone and forget the name by the time I have drawn the next breath.
Enjoy your dinner !
Thread Starter
To take another tack, a kindly soul has suggested that I ask the assembled company if somone could perhaps point me towards a site or location where I could find out which Spitfire Squadrons were based at Biggin Hill during wartime, after which I could check to see if any of their aircraft were lost over Scotland.
As my friend points out, there could not have been many !
Thanks
El G.
As my friend points out, there could not have been many !
Thanks
El G.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
A quick Google threw up 92, 72, 74 and 610 while these were based there is did not follow that your Spitfire was based there but might simply have planned to land there. 'He overshot' might also mean that Biggin was a turning point en route to another airfield perhaps with less sophisticated nav aids.
AA says could we not D/F in those days. I am not sure the R/T sets they had then had crystals to cover the whole of UK. It might be the case that once a short range fighter was out of his group area then he was unable to communicate.
We used to have an RAF Common - 117.9 and Flying Training had 115.56. Bomber had 135.95 IIRC but these were all post war freqs. If he had limited freqs available, may be 4, then he may have been out of contact.
Thread Starter
Thanks Pontious.
My own search threw up the same information. What I meant was that not many aircraft from Biggin would have crash landed in Scotland, although that may be incorrect!
I take your point though regarding Biggin being a turning point, although I did get the impression that Biggin was the airfield at which he was planning to land.
Can you help me any further with this ?
My own search threw up the same information. What I meant was that not many aircraft from Biggin would have crash landed in Scotland, although that may be incorrect!
I take your point though regarding Biggin being a turning point, although I did get the impression that Biggin was the airfield at which he was planning to land.
Can you help me any further with this ?
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There has been a lot of research done into wartime crashes, especially in the UK. I'd imagine there must be some record of it.
Perhaps a question here:
Historic Aviation - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
might elicit some information. Some very knowledgeable chaps in the matter of Spitfires.
Perhaps a question here:
Historic Aviation - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
might elicit some information. Some very knowledgeable chaps in the matter of Spitfires.
E-G,2 starting points; Was there any mention of any particular year that this happened ?If so there maybe records in the local `rag` archives.Likewise,I would have expected him to have `reported` to the local Constabubble`,so he could report a downed aircraft to the nearest RAF unit to provide guards etc,assuming that he had an armed aircraft/Verey pistol/personal weapons etc...You can`t just leave an aircraft lying about,and as he seems to have been `mobile`,then suggests it was more of a forced landing,rather than crash,ie with injuries.
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Is there any recovery records anywhere, as for overshooting, the first FW190 that came into our ownership was due to the pilot mistaking the Bristol channel for the English one.. the USAF also recovered a light aircraft that couldn't get into Paris because of weather, so headed for Le Touquet, but finally ran out of fuel and force landed in a ploughed field in Kent!
Last edited by NutLoose; 15th Jan 2012 at 11:23.
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Had a quick scan through the 3 volumes of Fighter Command Losses last but couldn't see anything close to this incident. That could just as well be due to me missing it in the books, the Spirtfire at the time was not on charge with Fighter Command or some other reason.
Thread Starter
I have no idea of the year in which this occured. At the time of the visit to my studio, I called the local press to see If they had any information. The newspaper has changed hands so many times over the years that records are very sketchy. I plan a visit to Scotland this year so I will have a serious go with them then.
As for the police, Selkirk was then and largely still is a one horse town.There may have been a Bobby on a bicycle
The gentleman simply told me he crash landed/ force landed the Spitfire on the top of a flat hill not far from the town, was un-injured and made his way to RAF Turnhouse to report in .
He stopped for a beer in Selkirk and then took the train to Edinburgh.
As I have said before, an old farmer near the site had vague memories of an event but could not give many details. Had I done some serious investigating at the time, I am sure I could have come up with answers. That is something I regret.
It was really only later that the story re-surfaced in my mind and I now live overseas. I do plan to do some real checking when I visit this year.
If anyone else can come up with any other leads I would be grateful.
It appears the subject is being discussed already with some flippancy on the site you suggested XV277. I think I will stick with Pprune !
Thanks
El G.
As for the police, Selkirk was then and largely still is a one horse town.There may have been a Bobby on a bicycle
The gentleman simply told me he crash landed/ force landed the Spitfire on the top of a flat hill not far from the town, was un-injured and made his way to RAF Turnhouse to report in .
He stopped for a beer in Selkirk and then took the train to Edinburgh.
As I have said before, an old farmer near the site had vague memories of an event but could not give many details. Had I done some serious investigating at the time, I am sure I could have come up with answers. That is something I regret.
It was really only later that the story re-surfaced in my mind and I now live overseas. I do plan to do some real checking when I visit this year.
If anyone else can come up with any other leads I would be grateful.
It appears the subject is being discussed already with some flippancy on the site you suggested XV277. I think I will stick with Pprune !
Thanks
El G.
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El G
If the Pilot was Canadian then it is entirely possible that it was a RCAF aircraft which could mean that the RAF would not necessarily have a record of the crash.
If the Pilot was Canadian then it is entirely possible that it was a RCAF aircraft which could mean that the RAF would not necessarily have a record of the crash.
Thread Starter
Yep, this is getting complicated for sure. I reckon my best bet is when I go to Scotland in a few months and start from scratch.
I am 100% convinced that the guy and his story was authentic !
I am 100% convinced that the guy and his story was authentic !
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I am 100% convinced that the guy and his story was authentic !
Fascinating story, and some of the details sound very curious.
Selkirk may be a "small town" by southern standards, but it serves a large rural area. Historically it is a county town, the administrative capital of Selkirkshire, with its own Sheriff Court.
Until 1946 Selkirkshire had its own police force, now part of Lothians and Border Police, who still have a manned police station in Scotts Place Selkirk.
On that basis, it seems quite surprising for someone who ran a business in the town to say that "As for the police, Selkirk was then and largely still is a one horse town.There may have been a Bobby on a bicycle."
Selkirk may be a "small town" by southern standards, but it serves a large rural area. Historically it is a county town, the administrative capital of Selkirkshire, with its own Sheriff Court.
Until 1946 Selkirkshire had its own police force, now part of Lothians and Border Police, who still have a manned police station in Scotts Place Selkirk.
On that basis, it seems quite surprising for someone who ran a business in the town to say that "As for the police, Selkirk was then and largely still is a one horse town.There may have been a Bobby on a bicycle."
Doesn't need to be a Turnhouse based Spitfire. Not a million miles away was RAF Acklington in Northumberland. No72 Sqdn, Spitfire equipped was based for eight months in 1940, before departing for Biggin. No610 arrived from Biggin as 72 left, also Spitfire equipped, a Canuck could obviously be flying in the RAF at this time. It could (if true) be something like this that went pear shaped, but like others the original story seems 'odd' to put it politely ...
If the Pilot was Canadian then it is entirely possible that it was a RCAF aircraft which could mean that the RAF would not necessarily have a record of the crash.
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The gentleman simply told me he crash landed/ force landed the Spitfire on the top of a flat hill not far from the town,
