Date:	Saturday 9 March 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	631 Sqn RAF
Registration:	SM472
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Beach at Llanfairfechan, Caernarvonshire, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales
Destination airport:	RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales

Narrative:
SM472: Spitfire LF.XVI. Built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 45 MU RAF Kinloss, Morayshire 18-11-44. Issued to 302 (City of Poznan) Polish Fighter Squadron RAF (Polish: 302 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Poznański") by 1-12-44. It was fighting as part of No. 131 Polish Fighter Wing when its airfield - Ghent/Sint-Denijs-Westrem, in Belgium - was attacked by Jagdgeschwader 1 during Operation 'Bodenplatte' on 1-1-45. No. 302 Polish Squadron lost 20 pilots killed, 12 missing and 9 taken prisoners, 63 aircraft destroyed and 43 damaged by the enemy's air defence. No. 131 Wing RAF/Polish Wing lost 13 Spitfires plus two damaged beyond repair, a total of 15 lost

Spitfire SM472 was Cat C (Repairable) Accident damaged on ops 28-1-45. To ASTH (Airwork Service Training Hamble) for repairs by 31-1-45. To 631 Squadron RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales 24-8-45 after repairs

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 9-3-46 when wrecked in a force-landing at Llanfairfechan, Caernarvonshire. Engine cut, aircraft belly landed on the beach and aircraft overwhelmed by the tide before it could be recovered. The cause of the engine failure was attributed to damaged rocker shaft bearings. Damage to airframe assessed as Cat E 9-3-46 (probably due to corrosion caused by prolonged immersion into salt water) and Spitfire SM472 was Struck Off Charge 14-3-46. The pilot escaped with only minor injuries. The pilot was Flying Officer Edgar Richard Owen who had previously served in Burma. The cost of a replacement aircraft was £6,000

Llanfairfechan (Welsh for 'Little St Mary's Parish') is a town and community in the Conwy County Borough, Caernarvonshire, Clwyd, Wales.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.34. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.91
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985 p 10)
4. 631 Squadron RAF ORB (Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) 01/01/1946 to 31/12/1949: File AIR 27/2529 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505167
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.96: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/28/W2333: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578179
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p101.html
8. https://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/515416/details/supermarine-spitfire-xvi-sm472
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=SM472
10. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90375-sm472
11. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SM472
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bodenplatte
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._302_Polish_Fighter_Squadron#History
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._631_Squadron_RAF
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanfairfechan

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Nov-2019 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Added
27-Nov-2019 11:03	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Operator]
20-Jun-2021 02:13	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
07-Apr-2022 18:30	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
10-Jul-2023 03:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Narrative]]
17-Sep-2023 15:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Narrative]]]