Date:	Friday 7 June 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc
Owner/operator:	1564 (Met) Flt RAF
Registration:	AR595
MSN:	WASP20/270
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Istres-Le Tubé Air Base, near Istres, northwest of Marseille -   France
Phase:	Pushback / towing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Istres-Le Tubé Air Base, Marseille (LFMI)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
AR595: Spitfire Vc, MSN WASP20/270. Built by Westland Aircraft at Yeovil, Somerset with Merlin M46 engine. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 11-8-42. To 82MU RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire 26-8-42 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Empire Franklin' 30-8-42, arriving Gibraltar 14-9-42. to RAF Luqa, Malta 1-11-42. To 126 Squadron coded 'MK-M' by 2-11-1942. To 1435 Squadron coded 'V-M' by 5-11-42.

1435 Flight was reformed in July 1942 at RAF Luqa, Malta, as a day fighter unit equipped with Supermarine Spitfire, and manned by personnel from several squadrons, including Nos. 185, 249 and 603 Squadrons. After a brief period as No. 1435 (Fighter) Flight, at RAF Luqa, due to its size it was raised to No. 1435 Squadron on 2-8-42 at RAF Luqa, Malta

To North Africa from Malta 1-6-43. To 1564 (Meteorological) Flight: this unit was first formed at RAF Mellaha, near Tripoli, Libya, on 1-2-43, flying Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires, and then moved to Castel Benito (Libya); thence to Istres (France) in mid 1945. The flight was disbanded at Istres, France on 15-6-46. Spitfire AR595 sustained a Cat. C accident at Meknes, Morocco 16-6-44. To Lt Martinet Middle East 28-4-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 7-6-46 when struck tractor while being towed at Base aérienne 125 Istres, Istres-Le Tubé Air Base, near Istres, northwest of Marseille, France. The Spitfire was being towed behind a tractor at Istres, using a towing arm attached to the tail wheel, when the aircraft struck a rock. The impact dislodged the towing arm, and the Spitfire, now unattached to the towing tractor, continued in its direction of travel, and collided with the tractor!

Damage assessed as Cat. E 8-6-46. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge as Cat. E 27-6-46. The fact that 1564 (Met) Flight RAF was disbanded just eight days later may have had a bearing on the decision not repair Spitfire AR595.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.157
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft TA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 1564 (Met) Flight RAF for the period 1-2-1942 to 30-6-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/877/15: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161981
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.100: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/AR595
7. https://www.danishww2pilots.dk/aircraft.php?aircraft=1366
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._126_Squadron_RAF
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/98835-ar595
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._126_Squadron_RAF#Reformation_in_the_Second_World_War
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1435_Flight_RAF
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._1564_Flight_RAF#1564_(Meteorological)_Flight_in_World_War_II
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istres-Le_Tub%C3%A9_Air_Base

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jun-2023 01:27	Dr. John Smith	Added
24-Jun-2023 08:00	Nepa	Updated
25-Jun-2023 01:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated
15-Sep-2023 18:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated
15-Sep-2023 20:35	Nepa	Updated