Date:	Friday 14 June 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	17 SFTS RAF
Registration:	SM288
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Harlaxton, Harlaxton, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Harlaxton, Grantham, Lincolnshire,
Destination airport:	RAF Harlaxton, Grantham, Lincolnshire,

Narrative:
SM288: Spitfire LF.XVI. Built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 266 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 9 MU Cosford, Staffordshire 2-11-44. To 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, RAF Coltishall, Norfolk 27-11-44 coded "LO-D". During its time with 602 Squadron, Spitfire SM288 carried out operations against V2 sites in the Netherlands over an area ranging from The Hook to Den Helder, until the squadron disbanded on 15-5-45 at Coltishall.

Among No. 602's pilots was Raymond Baxter, later to become well known on television as a presenter of the BBC TV series Tomorrow's World. According to the book "The Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XVI: The British" By Phil H Listermann, Spitfire SM288 was the "usual" aircraft of Raymond Baxter between December 1944 and May 1945. The 602 Squadron ORB recorded that he was definitely at the controls of Spitfire SM288 during an op on 14-2-45, when the target was Haagsche Bosche in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Withdrawn from use and stored from 15-5-45 when 602 Squadron disbanded. Next issued to 17 SFTS RAF Harlaxton, Harlaxton, near Grantham, Lincolnshire on 1-12-45

Written off 14-6-46 when engine failed after takeoff from RAF Harlaxton. At an altitude of 400 feet, the aircraft's engine failed due to a serious breakup of the big end bearings and connecting rods. The aircraft turned back to base and made a wheels-up forced landing short of the runway. Damage assessed as FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) 14-6-46 (same day) and finally Struck Off Charge 29-7-46

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.44 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.161
3. 17 SFTS ORB (Operations Record Book) for the period 1-2-20 to 31-12-49: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/699 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100408
4. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.100: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p100.html
5. https://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-49-incident-logs#1946
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SM288
7. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?8356-Individual-letters-Spitfires-602-Squadron&p=48472#post48472
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Baxter#Pilot_career
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90254-sm288
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Harlaxton

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jul-2021 17:13	Dr. John Smith	Added
22-Jul-2021 18:13	Lelek	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Operator]
24-Jul-2021 17:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
23-Jun-2023 20:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Narrative]]
15-Sep-2023 17:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Narrative]]]