BOTH SPITFIRES LOST

Southland Times, Issue 24871, 10 October 1942, Page 4

BOTH SPITFIRES LOST

FATE OF SOUTHLAND PLANES Both Spitfires named after Southland because the residents of the province subscribed the funds required for their purchase have been lost i n ,, aC j Ot } against the enemy. The Southland i machine crashed in the English Channel last April, when Flight-Lieutenant R. H. Strang, of Invercargill, was shot down, and the Southland II machine was shot down on the French coast in May in an engagement over Boulogne. Pilot Officer J. M. Checketts, of Invercargill, who was flying the machine, baled out and parachuted safely into the Channel and was rescued.. Behind these bare facts lies a remarkable coincidence which has been brought to light by a letter from Flying Officer Ray Watson, who is now serving in the Middle East. He writes: I saw a German photograph of the Southland II Spitfire that had crashed on the coast. I could read the name on the side of it. Johnnie Checketts, who was training with me in New Zealand, was the pilot of it. At least, it was his plane, but whether he was flying it 1 do not know. However, from the picture, the pilot must have got out unhurt, so he is probably a prisoner. Actually, Pilot Officer Checketts was rescued. Pilot Officer Checketts parachuted from only 800 feet. His version of the engagement was published on May 26 as follows: — “Flight-Lieutenant R. Baker was leading our section, followed by Pilot Officer M. Hume (Wellington). I was next and then came Flight-Sergeant D. M. Russell (Auckland). We were flying at 25,000 feet over Boulogne when the Huns ‘bounced’ us. I saw a Hun attack Sergeant I. P. Maskill (Invercargill) , who was in another section. Then a Hun attacked Flight-Sergeant Russell. He and I turned to meet the Hun, who overshot, putting me in a nice position to ‘squirt’ the Hun attacking Maskill, after which I turned to rejoin Baker, but before I could reach him four Foclje-Wulfs ‘bounced’ me from above. I tried to climb to fight them, but the next thing I heard a dull boom and saw most of the starboard wing gone. The radio-telephone and airspeed indicator were out of action.