Date:	Thursday 9 September 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVIe
Owner/operator:	203 AFS RAF
Registration:	TD119
MSN:	CBAF IX.4202
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bristol Channel, off Morte Point Gunnery Ranges, Devon, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon
Destination airport:	RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon

Narrative:
TD119: Spitfire LF XVIe, MSN CBAF IX.4202. Built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. Delivered to 19MU RAF St. Athan, South Glamorgan 26-3-45. To 345 (GC II/2 'Berry') (Free French) Squadron RAF 19-4-45. (345 Squadron disbanded at Friedrichshafen, Germany 27-11-45 when it was transferred to French control; Spitfire TD119 was not transferred with the squadron). Stored from 1-12-46 until issued to 61 OTU RAF Keevil, Wiltshire 18-2-46. Unit became 203 AFS at RAF Keevil, Wiltshire 1-7-47

Written off (destroyed) 9-9-48 when crashed into the sea after recovering from dive at the Morte Point Gunnery ranges, north of Woolacombe, Devon. The aircraft was engaged on a dive-bombing training sortie from RAF Chivenor, against a ground target on the Morte Point Gunnery Ranges.

After making his practice attack, as per the briefed sortie, the pilot pulled out of the dive, and the Spitfire then flicked onto its back, and dived into the sea off Morte Point, Devon. The pilot was killed.

Crew of Spitfire TD119:
Pilot II George Edward Parsons (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 9-9-48

Morte Point is a peninsula on the north west coast of Devon, England, belonging to the National Trust. To the east is the village of Mortehoe and to the south is the seaside resort of Woolacombe.

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.427
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 203 AFS ORB for the period 1-6-47 to 31-12-50: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 29/1771: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101481
5. "RAF Write offs 1948": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.1 1979: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p110.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TD119
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/archive/17376.php
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90988-td119
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._345_Squadron_RAF#History
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._8_Flying_Training_School_RAF#History_of_203_AFS
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Chivenor#1946%E2%80%941949
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morte_Point

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