Hawker Hurricane Mk.I V6987 / UF-L of No.601 Squadron, crashed on Birkhouse Moor near Glenridding on the 29th March 1941
| Thomas Charles Smith | Pilot Officer | Pilot | Killed |
The pilot of V6987 was ferrying the aircraft, along with Flying Officer John Wilfred Seddon in V7539, from RAF Northolt in North London to RAF Crosby-on-Eden near Carlisle. They pair had flown via RAF Catterick in North Yorkshire before leaving there to fly north west towards Carlirlse. The likely route being to follow the railway between Barnard Castle and Penrith. Around the Lake District were snow showers and low cloud. The two aircraft became separated in this weather and strayed to the west of their route, V6987 crashed on Birkhouse Moor above the village of Glenridding on the western side of Ullswater some 12 miles south west of Penrith. John Seddon in V7539 flew further west and crashed to the west of Keswick.
On the same day a number of other aircraft were being ferried from Northolt bound for training units, one destined for No.58 OTU crashed near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, killing its pilot Sergeant Thomas Arthur Veasey. It is likely that V6987 and V7539 were both destined for No.59 OTU, as they are referenced in the casualty records for this crash, but were lost while still on charge with No.601 Sqn.
