Date:	Monday 15 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX
Owner/operator:	72 Sqn RAF
Registration:	MH884
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Rastenfeld, district of Krems-Land, Lower Austria -   Austria
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Rastenfeld, district of Krems-Land, Lower Austria
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MH884: Spitfire LF. IX, built by CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M66 engine. Initially retained by CRD (AM) (Controller Research & Development (Air Ministry)). To 33MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 22-10-43. To 47MU RAF Sealand, Flintshire 7-11-43 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. Shipped on the SS 'Montgomery City' 15-11-43, arriving Casablanca, Morocco 29-11-43. To 111 (F) Squadron in December 1943.

Spitfire Mk IX MH884 when coded 'DS', was flown by RAF No. 324 Wing Commanding Officer, Group Captain W Duncan Smith from Corsica and Ravenna in 1944-45. He is credited with 17 aircraft shot down, 2 shared shoot downs, 6 probable's, 2 shared probable's and 8 damaged in aerial combat (not all in Spitfire MH884)

To MAAF (Mediterranean Allied Air Force) 21-6-45. To 72 Squadron, Zeltweg, Austria in July 1945.

Written off (destroyed) 15-4-46 in mid-air collision with Spitfire NH453 of 111 (F) Squadron. Pilot abandoned aircraft, which crashed at Rastenfeld, district of Krems-Land, Lower Austria. Both aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision, the pilots of both Spitfires bailed out, and survived by parachuting safely to the ground. During a formation form-up, the pilots of both aircraft failed to keep a good look out; the leading aircraft in the formation was MH453 which was struck from behind by Spitfire MH884, due to the former aircraft being in the wrong position.

Damage Assessed as Cat E 15-4-46. Pilot bailed out safely, and parachuted to the ground unhurt. Struck Off Charge 25-4-46.

Note: Several published sources give the accident location as "Ruttelfeld, Austria" - but no such location exists. It is presumed that the location stated is a mis-recording of/clerical error for "Rastenfeld".

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.39. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.124
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain 1985)
4. 72 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 30-4-1949: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2430/1: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8420256
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.98: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf111
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p065.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MH884
8. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=%20MH884
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/85018-mh884
10. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?24506-Wg-Cdr-Duncan-Smith-DSO*-DFC**-and-126-Sqn-(Malta-Operation-Husky)&p=142278#post142278
11. Spitfire MH884 as "DS" 324 Wing, 1944-45: https://hobbymasterarchive.org/HA8323/
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._72_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastenfeld

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jul-2023 00:14	Dr. John Smith	Added
02-Jul-2023 17:25	Nepa	Updated
16-Sep-2023 13:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated