Date:	Thursday 28 August 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	1 SFTS RIAF
Registration:	MT783
MSN:	CHA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Aircraft missing
Location:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana -   India
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MT783: Spitfire LF.VIII, built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 22-5-44. To 82MU RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire 31-5-44 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the SS 'Chinese Prince' 9-6-44, arriving India 10-7-44. To 155 Squadron; in mid-September 1945, after V-J Day, the squadron flew to Singapore soon after the Japanese surrender and in February 1946, moved to Soewondo Air Force Base, Medan, North Sumatra to provide tactical support for the British Army units there until disbanded on 31-8-46

To 1 SFTS, RIAF by/in September 1946 at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India

Written off (presumed destroyed) 28-8-47 when went missing on a flight from RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India. Pilot posted as missing, presumed killed, on active duty. Exact location of crash not yet 100% established - aircraft took off from RIAF Ambala and was never seen again. (RIAF Ambala posted as location of loss, by default, pending establishment of actual location of loss).

Crew of Spitfire MT783
Pilot Officer (IND/3409) Raghu Nath Bansilal (pilot) RIAF- posted as missing, presumed killed 28-8-47; Commemorated at the Delhi-Karachi 1939-1945 Memorial, New Delhi, Delhi Capital Territory, India

Note: Several published sources mis-quote the serial number of the Spitfire involved as "MT738". Spitfire MT783 (seven-eight-three) was issued to 1 SFTS, RIAF by/on September 1946 and crashed in India on 28-8-47 (as per the above entry). Spitfire MT738 (seven-three-eight) was the Spitfire involved in a different incident, when it crashed at Soewondo Air Force Base, Medan, North Sumatra on 4-4-46 (see separate entry)

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.117
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 155 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-9-1945 to 31-8-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1039/17: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8389942
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2591017/raghu-nath-bansi-lal/
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18458136/nath-bansi-raghu
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89767-mt783
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MT783
9. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT783
10, https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MT783
11. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3409
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._155_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambala_Air_Force_Station#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Jul-2023 21:21	Dr. John Smith	Added
09-Jul-2023 09:40	Nepa	Updated
16-Sep-2023 14:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated