Date:	Thursday 4 May 1950
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB Mk 5
Owner/operator:	16 Sqn RAF
Registration:	VV448
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	4 miles ESE of Versmold, near RAF Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia -   Germany
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Gütersloh, (GUT/ETUO)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
De Havilland DH.100 Vampire FB.Mk.5 VV448, 16 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 4/5/50 when dived into the ground shortly after takeoff from RAF Gütersloh, Germany. Aircraft came down four miles east south east of Versmold, Germany; pilot killed. Reason for crash never ascertained.

Crew of Vampire VV448:
Flying Officer Francis Colin Alston, RAF (Service Number 58773) - killed on active service 4/5/50

The reported crash location of Versmold in Westphalian Platt is a town in Gütersloh District in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located some 30 km west of Bielefeld at approximate coordinates 52°02′37″N 08°09′00″E

1. Halley, James J. (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.102 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p 54
3. Hamburger Abendblatt 5 May 1950, p 8
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/20: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424141
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/30/S2494: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578340
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
7. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VV
8. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38445/supplement/5773/data.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Dec-2019 23:43	Dr. John Smith	Added
22-Dec-2019 23:44	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
23-Dec-2019 20:43	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]
23-Dec-2019 22:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
08-Jan-2020 21:30	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
05-Feb-2020 11:47	Anon.	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Operator]