Spitfire collision,can anyone help this person find out what happened

Blairgowrie,

Read the thread with interest. If you search “Heston” on this forum site you’ll find a couple of photos I’ve posted of the airfield, post ww2. I’ve also sent a PM.

From Balirgowrie’s link:

You have also requested his RAF Logbook.They were retained after the war until 1960 when an advertisement was placed in several newspapers in the 1960’s offering them to be claimed. Those that were not claimed by the crew or their next of kin were subsequently destroyed.

Can you believe it? :confused: What a crass thing to do with irreplaceable historical documents.

Moggy

Thank you very much for the information skypilot 62, about Bader’s Spitfire P7966. That certainly clears up the mystery for me. Someone else on the Forgotten Battles Forum thought Bader was flying a Spit Va when he went down in 1941 and your information confirms that.

Whalebone has kindly suggested that I might provide some more information about my brother Sgt. Pilot Crichton Alexander Smith (Tony) and his unit plus some detailts on his flying accident. This information is included in the following thread.

http://ubbxforums.ubi.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=400102&f=23110283&m=987106593

Again, I wish to reiterate my thanks for all the help being provided in my quest to find out the details of the flying accident involving my brother Tony on 8th March 1942.

P7966 was named Manxman and was paid for by the Isle of Man Spitfire fund, which paid for 3 Spitfires in total. Bader did indeed fly this aircraft. if you check Osprey’s Spitfire Aces Mk1/11 book you’ll see a few more details. I’ll post them here tomorrow. I’ll also dig out what info I have on the aircraft – all 3 Manx Spitfires have been researched extensively by my colleague from the Manx Aviation Preservation Society, Steve Poole.

Check out the following link:

http://www.maps.iofm.net/manxman.htm

And I quote:

This aircraft (P7966) was one of the first to carry Wing Commander Douglas Bader’s initials on the fuselage – it was also a Presentation Spitfire from the Manx Public, wearing the legend ‘Manxman’ in 4’’ high yellow letters, below the cockpit on its starboard side.

It was built as a MkIIa, at Vickers-Armstrongs Castle Bromwich Factory and delivered to 45 Maintenance Unit on 24th February, 1941. Then it was issued to 616 Squadron as part of the Tangmere Wing on 23rd March, 1941, where it was flown by Wing Commander Douglas Bader up to July 1941 and remained with 616 Squadron until August 1941. (The aircraft that Douglas Bader bailed out of over France in August 1941 being a Mk Va Spitfire W3185 Lord Lloyd I).

Two other presentation Spitfires from the Manx Community were Spitfire Mk Ia R7131 wearing the legend ‘Presentation’ and Spitfire MkIIa P7922 wearing the legend ‘Man of Metal’.

Blairgowrie, late in the day over this side of the water but you are probably still up and about, check your Private Messages.
Phil.

I have taken Trumpers advice and joined this Forum. If anyone can help me find out what happened I would be most appreciative.