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Date: | Thursday 20 May 1948 |
Time: | 09:00 LT |
Type: | Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XVIII |
Owner/operator: | 32 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | TP373 |
MSN: | ALD. |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
Other fatalities: | 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | RAF Ramat David, 4 km south of Ramat Yishay, Palestine -
Israel
|
Phase: | Standing |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Ramat David, Palestine |
Destination airport: | |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:TP373: Spitfire FR XVIII. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Aldermaston with Griffon G67 engine. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 6-12-45. To RAF St. Mawgan, Cornwall 20-8-46; accident on delivery flight to Mediterranean Air Command (Middle East). Sustained GAAC (Ground Accident Cat. C (Repairable) 30-9-46. Repaired and finally delivered to Mediterranean Air Command (Middle East) 27-2-47. To 32 Squadron at Ein Shemer, Palestine 12-2-48. 32 Squadron was based here between 3-10-46 and 25-3-48. To 32 Squadron, RAF Nicosia, Lefkosia, Cyprus 25-3-48
Written off 20-5-48: Destroyed on ground by Egyptian Spitfires in a dive-bombing attack. The Arab-Israeli conflict of 1948 saw the RAF with aircraft and personnel based both in Egypt and Israel (Palestine), with all three countries operating Spitfires. Thew Royal Egyptian Air Force mounted attacks against Israel (Palestine). A series of raids were made on the airfield at RAF Ramat David, 4 km south of Ramat Yishay, Palestine by REAF Spitfires. During these raids, two RAF Spitfires were destroyed on the ground (Spitfires TZ220 and TP373, both of 32 Squadron, RAF).
In addition, three C-47 Douglas Dakotas (KP278, KN423 and KN481) were either destroyed or damaged beyond repair, and two ground crew were killed
Ground Crew Fatalities 20-5-48
AC.1 (Aircraftman 1st Class) Eric Yates, RAF - killed on active service 20-5-48
AC.2 (Aircraftman 2nd Class) Robert Short, RAF - killed on active service 20-5-48
Airframe declared Cat E 29-5-48, and finally Struck Off Charge 24-6-48
Sources:
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.39
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 32 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2409/1:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8674237 6. "RAF Write offs 1948": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.1 1979:
https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf 7.
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p113.html 8.
https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TP373 9.
https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80386-tp373 10.
https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TP373 11.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Shemer_Airfield#RAF_Ein_Shemer 12.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._32_Squadron_RAF#Post-war 13.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramat_David_Airbase#RAF_Ramat_David Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
23-Aug-2023 21:52 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
24-Aug-2023 07:50 |
Nepa |
Updated |
24-Aug-2023 11:20 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated |