Date:	Monday 19 July 1948
Time:	afternoon
Type:	de Havilland Vampire F Mk 3
Owner/operator:	CFE RAF
Registration:	VT817
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Aircraft missing
Location:	Missing - English Channel. -   France
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Deauville, Normandy
Destination airport:	RAF Tangmere, West Sussex

Narrative:
DeHavilland Vampire F.3 VT817, CFE (Central Fighter Establishment), RAF: Aircraft and pilot went missing (presumed aircraft crashed, pilot killed) 19 July 1948.

The aircraft was flying over the English Channel between Deauville, Calvados, Normandy, France, and RAF Tangmere, West Sussex, in formation with another RAF DeHavilland Vampire, due to the radio on Vampire VT817 becoming unserviceable

Vampire VT817 became separated en-route from its 'escort' aircraft over the English Channel and failed to arrive at RAF Tangmere. After being declared "overdue", an extensive air and sea search-and-rescue operation was mounted, but no trace of the aircraft or its pilot was ever found. Pilot posted as "missing, presumed killed"
Crew of Vampire VT817:
F/Lt Henry Maurice MASON DFC (pilot) RAF - missing, presumed killed 19-7-48

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.86. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Combat 21 July 1948
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.412
4. CFE RAF ORB for 1-1-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29-1348: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101058
5. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=vt

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jun-2020 19:35	TB	Added