Date:	Friday 21 November 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF.XVI
Owner/operator:	611 (West Lancashire) Sqn RAF
Registration:	SM401
MSN:	CBAF IX.3485
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Sealand, Denbighshire, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Sealand, Denbeighshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
SM401: Spitfire LF. XVI, MSN CBAF IX.3485. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M266 engine. Delivered to 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 9-11-44. To 229 Squadron, RAF Detling, Kent 6-12-44. To 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh 10-1-45. On 10-1-45, 603 Squadron reassembled at RAF Coltishall and by curious coincidence, took over the Spitfires of No. 229 Squadron RAF and some of its personnel, the same squadron which had absorbed No. 603 at Ta Kali (Ta' Qali) in 1942. Fighter-bomber sweeps began in February over the Netherlands and continued until April, when the squadron returned to its home base at Turnhouse for the last days of the war. On 15-8-45, the squadron was disbanded at Turnhouse.

To 631 Squadron, RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales 30-8-45. To 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron, RAF Woodvale, Southport, Lancashire 22-7-46.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 21-11-47 when caught fire during maintenance at RAF Sealand, Denbighshire. During maintenance work on the rear fuselage at RAF Sealand, a fire broke out, and the airframe was damaged. A member of the ground crew undertaking the repair - AC.2 W. Bate - sustained burn injuries during the incident.

Damaged initially assessed as Cat. E 21-11-47. Repairs abandoned, and Struck Off Charge 11-12-47

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.351
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 30 MU RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 31-12-48: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1488: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101198
5. 611 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-6-1946 to 31-3-1957: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2517: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505155
6. "RAF Write offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.2 1978: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/SM401
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90342-sm401
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._229_Squadron_RAF#World_War_II
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._603_Squadron_RAF#Spitfires_again
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._631_Squadron_RAF#History
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._611_Squadron_RAF#Postwar_operations
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoD_Sealand#Early_history

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-May-2023 18:36	Dr. John Smith	Added
06-May-2023 19:44	Nepa	Updated
27-Aug-2023 21:40	Dr. John Smith	Updated