Date:	Sunday 24 July 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire F Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	CFE RAF
Registration:	RM737
MSN:	6S 432286
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Holbeach Gunnery Ranges, Gedney Drove End, Lincolnshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:	RAF Wittering (EGXT)

Narrative:
Spitfire F.XIV RM737: Built by Vickers Armstrong Supermarine at Chattis Hill, Hampshire, with Griffon G65 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 39 MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 8-7-44. First issued to 91 Squadron, RAF West Malling, Maidstone, Kent 24-7-44. To 402 ("City of Winnipeg") Squadron, RCAF, at RAF Hawkings, Kent 9-11-44. Sustained Cat. C accident 3-12-44 at RAF Grave, Netherlands. To 409 RSU for damage assessment. To ASTH (Air Service Training, Hampshire) 21-2-45 for repairs and storage. To CFE (Central Fighter Establishment), RAF Wittering, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire 30-5-46

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when hit by debris during RP (Rocket Projectile) training over Holbeach Gunnery Ranges, Gedney Drove End, Lincolnshire 25-7-49. The Spitfire was damaged by shrapnel rebounding off the ground during a low-level range firing sortie.

Returned to base safely, (pilot uninjured) and Repair On site authorised. However, downgraded to Ground Instructional Airframe 6694M. Issued to 2 SoTT RAF Cosford, Shropshire 24-8-49. Struck off Charge 15-5-54

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.516
3. CFE RAF ORB for the period 1946-1949: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1349: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101059
4. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/101927-rm737
5. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=RM737
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RM737
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p096.html
8. http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945-1949-incident-logs.php#1949
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._91_Squadron_RAF#World_War_II
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Fighter_Establishment
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbeach_Air_Weapons_Range#History

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