Date:	Friday 17 May 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
Owner/operator:	87 Gp CF RAF
Registration:	BM238
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	RAF Gatwick, Horley, Surrey, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Gatwick, Horley, Surrey (LGW/EGKK)
Destination airport:	RAF Gatwick, Horley, Surrey (LGW/EGKK)

Narrative:
BM238: Spitfire Vb. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 45M engine. Delivered to the RAF at 33 MU Lyneham 17-3-42. First issued to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron 6-4-42 as "OU-X". Cat AC damaged on operations 4-4-43; repaired on site. After repairs, to 19 Squadron 1-7-43 as "QV-D". To 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, RAF Tangmere, Sussex, coded 'SD-G' 8-11-43. Cat B damaged on operations 21-12-43. To AST (Airwork Service Training) for repairs/refurbishment. Thence to 234 Squadron RAF Predannack, Cornwall, 22-6-44 coded "AZ-J". Transferred to 87 GCF (Group Communications Flight) RAF Gatwick, Horley Surrey 28-12-44

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when engine failed force-landed at RAF Gatwick on 17-5-46. Due to corrosion of a coolant feed pipe, the engine lost almost all of its glycol coolant. As a result, the oil temperature rose sharply, and the oil pressure fell rapidly, resulting in serious damage to the engine.

F/Lt (162837) Rodney Dryland (pilot) RAF - made a successful immediate emergency landing back at RAF Gatwick. Rodney Dryland (born 1922) attended Bablake School between 1933-1938. He did his flying training in Rhodesia in 1941. He did a year's ferrying aircraft in the Middle East before going to No.3 Sqn in 1943. While with the Squadron, Dryland shot down four aircraft and 21 flying bombs. He was the first pilot to destroy 5 flying bombs in one patrol. He was shot down in December 1944, but obviously recovered and returned to service by May 1945.

After leaving the RAF, Rodney Dryland became a test pilot for the Gloster Aircraft Company. He was killed as the result of a flying accident while testing the prototype Gloster Meteor Mk.5 (VT347) at Moreton Valence on July 13th 1949 (which see).

Spitfire Vb BM238 was deemed "damaged beyond economic repair" and Struck Off Charge 22-6-46 as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E).

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.41. ISBN 0-85130-290-4
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.145
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft BA100-BZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.99: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p026.html
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Gatwick_Airport#1920%E2%80%931945
7. http://www.danishww2pilots.dk/sorties.php?person=50&sortie=884
8. http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfire-pilot-life-prematurely-ended.html/3?replytocom=4817
9. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzspitfire.htm
10. http://thetartanterror.blogspot.com/2007/12/rodney-dryland-dfc-1922-1949.html
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Gatwick_Airport#1945%E2%80%931958

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Jul-2021 12:52	Dr. John Smith	Added
18-Jul-2021 12:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
18-Jul-2021 12:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
18-Jul-2021 20:18	TyBlBe	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative, Operator]
19-Jul-2021 17:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
20-Jul-2021 13:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
16-Sep-2023 11:44	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Narrative]]