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Operation: Cross country flight.
Date: 17th December 1943(Friday)
Unit: No. 287 Squadron (Ford)
Type: Spitfire Vb
Serial: AD315
Code: Not known.
Location: Green Hailey, near Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.
Pilot: Fl/Sgt Peter Yorke Morris 1322304 RAF(VR) Age 21. Killed.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Fl/Sgt Morris with Spitfire AD315 whilst on I.A.Z course from Ford crashed into a hill at 800 feet at Green Hailey, near Princes Risborough, Bucks in fog at 15.45 hours. The pilot was killed instantly and the aircraft completely wrecked.
Records show that Spitfire AD315 was previously test flown with Rolf Pingle's Me 109F for speed trials. Me 109F and Spitfire VB (AD.315) flew together to 19,000 ft. for comparative speed trials.
At 18,880 ft., the Me 109F was about 21 mph. faster than the Spitfire with a true speed computing to 362 mph. which agrees with Farnborough's figures. The Spitfire however, was only giving a true 341 mph. with emergency boost of only 8 1/2 lbs, which does not seems enough.
Above: Me109 and Rolf Pingle
At 15,000 ft. the Me 109's engine was vibrating at full power and it was not possible to find its superiority in speed, but the Spitfire was giving 350 mph. true (this agrees with Boscome) at plus 13 emergency boost.The Me 109 computed to 345 at this height, which agrees with Farnborough again. Weather not being fit for high altitude work, the Me 109F then did a comparative speed run against the Spitfire VB at 1,000 ft. The Spitfire's maximum level speed at 1,000 ft. computes to 292 mph and the Me 109 was about 10 to 15 mph faster, but it was not possible to judge the difference in speed more accurately, as the weather was very bumpy.
Note: Built at Castle Bromwich Factory and powered by the Merlin 45 engine.
Right: Grave of Fl/Sgt. Morris (courtesy Ian McLauchlan - place mouse over image)
Burial detail:
Fl/Sgt Peter Yorke Morris. Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking, Surrey. Grave: 21.C.20. Son of Ernest M. Morris and Hepzibah L. Morris, of Chiswick, Middlesex, England.
Information thanks to 287 Squadron ORB (Operational Record Book). Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses' Vol. 1-3, Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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