Date:	Wednesday 17 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
Owner/operator:	335 Sqn RHAF
Registration:	ER772
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sedes Air Base, 15 km east of Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia -   Greece
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Sedes AB nr Thessaloniki, Greece (LGSD)
Destination airport:	Sedes AB nr Thessaloniki, Greece (LGSD)

Narrative:
ER772: Spitfire Vb. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 46 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 12 MU 24-10-42. To 215 MU 4-11-42 for crating and packing for shipment overseas. To Hamble 19-11-42. Shipped to Gibraltar, arrived 8-12-42. To RAF North West Africa 28-2-43. Saw operational use with 152 Squadron and 225 Squadron. Returned to RAF North West Africa 1-11-43. To RAF Middle East Command 21-6-45. 335 Squadron (335 Μοίρα,"Aegean Tigers") Royal Hellenic Air Force on or after 31-7-45

In November 1944 the Greek squadrons returned to liberated Greece, where they were engaged in operations against the remaining German garrisons in the Aegean islands and Crete. On 31 July 1945, the squadron was disbanded from the RAF and transferred to Greek control. The motto of the 335 Squadron Αίεν Υψικρατείν ("Always dominate the Heights") is now the official motto of the Hellenic Air Force.

Following the hand-over, the squadron was deployed to Sedes Air Base near Thessaloniki. From there, after the outbreak of the Greek Civil War, the squadron participated in operations against the Communist guerrillas. In June 1947 it was re-equipped with Spitfires Mk IX and XVI, which were retained until October 1953

ER772 was written off (damaged beyond repair) when it crash-landed at Sedes Air Base, 15 Km East of Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece on 17-4-46. The pilot - Flying Officer A Bratos of the Royal Hellenic Air Force - made a tight gliding turn in order to land at Sedes Air Base. The Spitfire landed on its port undercarriage leg first, which immediately collapsed on touchdown. (Possibly the undercarriage was lowered but not locked down?). The aircraft then ran along the runway at Sedes Air Base on the port undercarriage only until the starboard wing stalled, and the starboard undercarriage collapsed. The Spitfire was then further damaged when the propeller blades hit the ground

Not repaired: Formally Struck Off Charge 25-4-46 as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E).

1. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.146
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p043.html
3. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.99: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/98158-er772
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/ER772
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/335th_Squadron_(HAF)#Post-war_history
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedes_Air_Base

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Sep-2014 18:52	TB	Added
15-Jul-2021 15:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
15-Jul-2021 15:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
16-Jul-2021 18:01	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]
18-Jul-2021 13:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
23-Jul-2021 20:26	Anon.	Updated [Time, Operator, Operator]
16-Sep-2023 11:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Time, Operator, Operator]]