Date:	Monday 31 July 1944
Time:	15:05
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	91 (Nigeria) Sqn RAF
Registration:	RM654
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hooe, NW of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Deanland
Destination airport:	RAF Deanland

Narrative:
In collision with Tempest Mk V EJ586 during an anti-flying bomb patrol.
It appears that the pilot of RM654 strayed from his patrol position when he heard that V-1s were " crossing in" near Hastings.
The Spitfire was struck from above and behind by the Tempest that had just descended through the low cloud layer above. Given the relative positions of the two planes, neither pilot would have been able to see the other aircraft in time to take effective avoiding action.

F/O (147354) Patrick Alfred Schade DFM RAFVR - killed in action.
R.I.P.
F/O. Patrick Alfred Schade. DFM. 147354 RAFVR Age 23. Hillingdon And Uxbridge Cemetery. Row J.D. Grave 18. Son of Fredrick Augustus and Mary Gladys Schade; husband of Helena Mabel Schade, of Uxbridge, England.

Spitfire production list. N.B. gives the crash location as Hove, a typo.
commands.com/forum/showthread.php?17788-Collision-31-July-1944-Does-anyone-have-copies-of-the-ORBs-for-91-and-486-Squadrons
CWGC

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Nov-2014 05:29	angels one five	Added
14-Nov-2014 05:33	angels one five	Updated [Location, Narrative]
02-Jun-2015 19:43	DB	Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
20-Sep-2019 23:04	angels one five	Updated [Departure airport, Narrative]
24-Aug-2021 19:37	angels one five	Updated [Phase, Narrative]
25-Nov-2021 18:09	angels one five	Updated [Narrative]
30-Dec-2023 17:00	pietrzak	Updated [Narrative]