This is just the end of the colourful history of one Supermarine Spitfire; unfortunately it cost the life of a young Australian pilot, which was rather more serious. "On 9th April 1943, piloted by an Australian, Sgt Theo Gilson Ross, the plane crashed, and was totally destroyed, at Fairley Farm, Kiln Pit Hill, Northumberland; the pilot was killed and is buried in the churchyard of St Mary at Stamfordham in Northumberland. In a private publication, Alan Storr – a former WW2 Australian airman – wrote the following: On the 9th April 1943, Spitfire N3196 took off from RAF Ouston to carry out a day flight training. During the flight the aircraft was engaged in a height climb, and was last seen doing aerobatics, Eye witnesses were of the opinion that the Pilot executed aerobatics at no great altitude and finally stalled for reasons unknown. The aircraft crashed into the sea near Fairlie Farm, Shotley Bridge, one and a half miles west of Whittonstall, Northumberland, and the Pilot was killed.” I don't know where Alan Storr got the idea that It crashed into the sea, as the location appears to be correct but a long way from the sea - several miles, in fact. The crash itself is quite well reported and there is a better than usual history of the aircraft itself. But, has anyone any information on the pilot to help me add him to a local tribute site to those killed in the area in air crashes.
Archivist. I'm sure spidge (Geoff) will be along in a couple of hours - when Australia wakes up - as this is his area of particular interest/expertise. Meanwhile, have you got a picture of the headstone/memorial if one exists?Pete
Hello Pete, Thanks for the quick answer. I don't have a picture of the headstone but it wouldn't be too difficult to get there to take one - when I can get the time. It gets dark early here, at this time of year, so the biggest problem is getting there in daylight! I could take one or get a friend to do it, as long as you are not in a hurry!
Alan Storr transposed these records from the NAA or AWM which in turn received such reports from the UK. This accident report may have been incorrect. You may have been the source of these queries however there is nothing else that I can find on this lad however being on this forum there may be a family member who will see it and reply as often occurs. Another query was received at the RAFcommands website (you?) on Ross: RAAF T.G.Ross 420277 Rootsweb: RootsWeb: GENANZ-L ROSS Theo - FAMILY CONCORD WWII / SKS REQUEST Cheers Geoff
Hello Spidge, Thank you for that information and the photographs. If I find out the full story, I'll be sure to send it to you. The links you supplied were interesting but neither of them is me! I don't know the man in the second one but the first link is someone I know and have worked with on the ground. He specialises in investigating and digging up (legally) crashed aircraft. The area where this crash occurred is only a few miles from where the Consett Iron Works stood until 1980. This was a regular target for German bombers so he might have been involved in protecting the steelworks - although they never managed to hit anything other than the slag heaps because of its geographical position at the head of a valley, making the approach very difficult for bombers. The plane he was flying had an interesting history and crashed on several occasions but this was its final destruction. It was one of the contenders (never credited) for shooting down Franz von Werra (The one that got away...) and was flown by Sgt "Stap Me" Stapleton at the time. Thanks again
This is just the end of the colourful history of one Supermarine Spitfire; unfortunately it cost the life of a young Australian pilot, which was rather more serious. "On 9th April 1943, piloted by an Australian, Sgt Theo Gilson Ross, the plane crashed, and was totally destroyed, at Fairley Farm, Kiln Pit Hill, Northumberland; the pilot was killed and is buried in the churchyard of St Mary at Stamfordham in Northumberland. In a private publication, Alan Storr – a former WW2 Australian airman – wrote the following: On the 9th April 1943, Spitfire N3196 took off from RAF Ouston to carry out a day flight training. During the flight the aircraft was engaged in a height climb, and was last seen doing aerobatics, Eye witnesses were of the opinion that the Pilot executed aerobatics at no great altitude and finally stalled for reasons unknown. The aircraft crashed into the sea near Fairlie Farm, Shotley Bridge, one and a half miles west of Whittonstall, Northumberland, and the Pilot was killed.” I don't know where Alan Storr got the idea that It crashed into the sea, as the location appears to be correct but a long way from the sea - several miles, in fact. The crash itself is quite well reported and there is a better than usual history of the aircraft itself. But, has anyone any information on the pilot to help me add him to a local tribute site to those killed in the area in air crashes. Hi i have been looking at this thread , i am a researcher of Fighter OTU;S i have this Pilot on my database , but sadly for the time being i cannot offer much help , However from the NOTES i have the A/C and unlucky pilot were flying with No 57 OTU this was a SPITFIRE fIGHTER Operational Training Unit where Pilots were taught to fly the Spitfire , AT THE moment his SERVICE FILE or the RAAF accident report has not been digitised at the ANA , i would like to see the dates of his posting to 57 OTU so that you can work out which Course he was flying and then just maybe a course photograph may be available but this is a long shot , ffrom the date of the crash it may be that he was on course 45 this course ran from 25/1/42 - 14/4/42 , sorry i cannot be of more use this time bw phill jones
Thanks for that Phill, He was a member of 57 OTU as you say, and from that, I imagine he was based at RAF Eshott in Northumberland. The crash site was very close to the County Durham border, close to Consett Ironworks. If there wasn't a biggish hill in the way, I could probably see Whittonstall from my window here on the Durham side of the border. My wife has family there and it is a beautiful place in summer but it can be a bleak place in winter. A local meteorologist tells me there was a lambing storm just before the crash (in April!) and ten inches (25cm) of level snow fell in the hours before the crash. Knowing the area, it could easily have drifted to several feet in some places depending on the wind strength. It is very high, exposed ground. Anyway, thanks for your contribution, every little clue can be helpful.
Sorry, I didn't mean to exclude anyone. If anyone would like to read the history of this one Spitfire, it is posted below - just out of interest. Supermarine Spitfire N3196 had an illustrious career that almost outshines the men who flew it! What follows is a description of its working life from its first flight on 27th November 1939 through its delivery to 41 Squadron on 14th April 1940, to its final destruction in a crash at Kiln Pit Hill on 25th April 1943. It was built at the Supermarine factory at Woolston, Southampton and had its test flight on 27th November 1939, finally being delivered to 27 Maintenance Unit at RAF Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire on 2nd January 1940. After extensive testing it was delivered to 41 Squadron at RAF Catterick, Yorkshire on 14th April 1940. On 26th April 1940, whilst returning from a patrol, the plane struck a sector light and damaged its undercarriage which in turn caused it to crash land and overturn. The pilot, Sgt Isaac E Howitt, was unhurt in the incident. However the aircraft was badly damaged and had to be dismantled and returned to the factory, at Hamble, Hampshire, for repairs on 5th May 1940. After repair, on 26th August 1940, it was sent to 9 Maintenance Unit at RAF Cosford, Shropshire who in turn allocated it 603 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch on 3rd September 1940 from where it was to take part in the Battle of Britain. Only four days later it was in the thick of the fray, piloted by Sgt (later Squadron Leader) B G “Stap Me” Stapleton when it was badly shot up by a Messerschmidt Bf109. He nursed it back over the Channel and crash landed in a ploughed field near Sutton Valence in Kent. He achieved a score of 6 kills, 2 shared kills, 8 probables and 2 damaged – several of them in this aircraft. However, the aircraft was salvaged and returned to the Hamble factory for repairs just three days after the accident. After the war he wrote the following: ".......During my dive from altitude I spotted a Spitfire at about 6,000' diving vertically, half inverted, towards the ground, it's tail shot away. I then spotted a lone 109 in the same airspace as an RAF pilot descending by parachute. I latched onto the German and pursued him at low-level over the Kent countryside. As I fired short bursts he attempted to shake me off but I could see my tracer striking his aircraft and I closed in. I remember at one stage being concerned that there was a village in my line of fire. He had nowhere to go but down and eventually force-landed in a field. I flew low over the site. The German was soon apprehended, initially by the unarmed cook from the local searchlight battery!" This relates to the well supported, but unproved, story that he was the one who shot down Leutnant Franz von Werra – the only German POW ever to escape from Britain and make it home. This was the subject of the Hardy Kruger film “The One That Got Away”. He was not officially credited with the kill but he was flying this aircraft at the time. On 8th April 1941 it was re-issued to 57 Operational Training Unit at RAF Hawarden, Flintshire where it appears to have suffered unknown damage which caused it to be returned to the factory yet again. In September 1942 the unit moved to RAF Eshott in Northumberland and, in December 1942, it suffered further damage but was quickly repaired and back in action. On 9th April 1943, piloted by an Australian, Sgt Theo Gilson Ross, the plane crashed, and was totally destroyed, at Fairley Farm, Kiln Pit Hill, Northumberland; the pilot was killed and is buried in the churchyard of St Mary at Stamfordham in Northumberland. In a private publication, Alan Storr – a former WW2 Australian airman – wrote the following: On the 9th April 1943, Spitfire N3196 took off from RAF Ouston to carry out a day flight training. During the flight the aircraft was engaged in a height climb, and was last seen doing aerobatics, Eye witnesses were of the opinion that the Pilot executed aerobatics at no great altitude and finally stalled for reasons unknown. The aircraft crashed into the sea near Fairlie Farm, Shotley Bridge, one and a half miles west of Whittonstall, Northumberland, and the Pilot was killed.” The report is otherwise accurate, but I have no idea where he got the idea that the plane crashed into the sea!
Hello Spidge, Thank you for that information and the photographs. If I find out the full story, I'll be sure to send it to you. The links you supplied were interesting but neither of them is me! I don't know the man in the second one but the first link is someone I know and have worked with on the ground. He specialises in investigating and digging up (legally) crashed aircraft. The area where this crash occurred is only a few miles from where the Consett Iron Works stood until 1980. This was a regular target for German bombers so he might have been involved in protecting the steelworks - although they never managed to hit anything other than the slag heaps because of its geographical position at the head of a valley, making the approach very difficult for bombers. The plane he was flying had an interesting history and crashed on several occasions but this was its final destruction. It was one of the contenders (never credited) for shooting down Franz von Werra (The one that got away...) and was flown by Sgt "Stap Me" Stapleton at the time. Thanks again I will have to do a search as there is an Australian lad who was in contention for von Werra I'm sure. Cheers Geoff
I will have to do a search as there is an Australian lad who was in contention for von Werra I'm sure. Cheers Geoff Found him! Paterson Clarence Hughes who was the highest scoring Australian in the Battle of Britain. (From July 6th to September 7th) At this point, Hughes official record showed 14 victories, and two half victories, but posthumously he was awarded another half victory for the shooting down of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the famous "One That Got Away" Axis PoW. Originally credited fully to Basil Gerald 'Stapme' Stapleton who finished von Werra's Bf 109 off, Hughes final DFC citation awarded him a half credit in the London Gazette of 22 October 1940.
Thanks for that! My source was the London Daily Telegraph and they stated that he was not officially credited so I can amend my files with confidence as your (good) reputation travels ahead of you! I have tried again with my failed PM - please let me know if you receive it.
Thanks for that! My source was the London Daily Telegraph and they stated that he was not officially credited so I can amend my files with confidence as your (good) reputation travels ahead of you! I have tried again with my failed PM - please let me know if you receive it. Part 1 received! Thank you. Cheers Geoff
Hello,My name is William Shearer and i am a member of an aviation group in the orkney islands.Your information on theo ross intrests me.There is a man on orkney called Eric metcalf and he was brought up on Fairley Farm and he remembers the crash well and says that it crashed into a ditch,He also remembers seeing the pilot,the recovery team and also the moments leading up to the crash.If any of you is interested in talking to Eric please feel free to get intouch.Regards William Shearer.Please have a look at our groups web site.Aviation Research Group Orkney Shetland - A.R.G.O.S.
Hello William, My main interest is the Polish Air Force in Exile during WW2 but I created the local website at the request of a few local friends who liked my PAF site. I live only a few miles from the scene of this crash and I have family living close by the crash site but all of the ones who would remember it are now dead. So I would love to add his eye witness story to my local blog. Eric might remember some of the family names are Thew, Ward, Anderson and Whitfield all from the Ebchester, Whittonstall, Newlands areas.
Hello,My name is William Shearer and i am a member of an aviation group in the orkney islands.Your information on theo ross intrests me.There is a man on orkney called Eric metcalf and he was brought up on Fairley Farm and he remembers the crash well and says that it crashed into a ditch,He also remembers seeing the pilot,the recovery team and also the moments leading up to the crash.If any of you is interested in talking to Eric please feel free to get intouch.Regards William Shearer.Please have a look at our groups web site.Aviation Research Group Orkney Shetland - A.R.G.O.S. Hi William, Apologies for not responding sooner. I do not know where "crashed into the sea" came from as everything west of Whittonstall would be dry land. I presume you have the details of the two RAAF lads buried at Lerwick! Cheers Geoff
Hello again, William I replied to your offer of contact with a witness of this crash - both on this site and by private messages and I have had no response whatsoever. Have you received any of my replies? Neville
Sorry for not getting intouch sooner i had problems logging in with passwords and such like.If anyone would like to speak to Eric the eye witness please contact me on 07810562273.
