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Date: | Tuesday 2 April 1946 |
Time: | day |
Type: | Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk XI |
Owner/operator: | 1401 Met Flt RAF |
Registration: | PA859 |
MSN: | CHA.5226 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | near RAF Celle, Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany -
Germany
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Survey |
Departure airport: | RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany |
Destination airport: | RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany |
Confidence Rating: | Little or no information is available |
Narrative:PA859: Spitfire PR. XI, MSN CHA.5226. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M70 engine. First Flown 24-12-43. To RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 1-3-44. To 541 Squadron, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 26-3-44. Damaged by enemy action (Cat B) 1-1-45. To HAL (Heston Aircraft Ltd) for repairs. To 1401 Meteorological Flight 19-2-46 after repairs completed. As per the file at the National Archives (see link #5):
"1401 Meteorological Flight; based at Bircham Newton and Manston (UK), then moved to Melsbroek, Eindhoven and B 118 Celle (Netherlands/Germany) February 1942 to June 1946"
Written off 2-4-46 when engine lost power, resulting in a force-landing near RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany. The boost control lever became disconnected, and the throttle was inoperative. Due to the sudden loss of engine power, the pilot made an immediate forced landing in a field, using what little engine power that was still available.
Not repaired; struck off charge as Cat. E (FA) 2-4-46.
Sources:
1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.37. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.115
3. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999.
4. P F Griffiths Pilots Flying Log Book
5. 1401 Meteorological Flight RAF ORB for the period 1-2-1942 to 30-6-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/866/1:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161883 6. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97:
https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf 7.
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p084.html 8.
https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PA859 9.
https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/PA859 10.
https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/91736-pa859 11.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._541_Squadron_RAF#Formation_in_World_War_II 12.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celle_Air_Base#Allied_occupation_1945_until_1957 Location
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
18-Aug-2013 03:04 |
JINX |
Added |
22-Nov-2013 19:41 |
Anon. |
Updated [Nature, Source, Damage] |
27-Mar-2015 18:50 |
James JUMP |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location] |
24-May-2015 20:09 |
Iwosh |
Updated [Operator] |
21-Jun-2023 17:01 |
Nepa |
Updated [[Operator]] |
02-Jul-2023 18:01 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [[[Operator]]] |
05-Jul-2023 16:20 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [[[[Operator]]]] |
12-Jul-2023 17:05 |
Nepa |
Updated [[[[[Operator]]]]] |
16-Sep-2023 14:28 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [[[[[[Operator]]]]]] |