Date:	Sunday 7 December 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	614 (County of Glamorgan) Sqn RAF
Registration:	RW355
MSN:	CBAF.IX.4626
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Long Sutton, 4 miles south of Somerton, Somerset, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Llandow, South Glamorgan
Destination airport:

Narrative:
RW355: Spitfire LF. XVI, MSN CBAF.IX.4626. Delivered to the RAF at 6 MU Brize Norton 14-8-45. Issued to 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron RAF Llandow, Glamorgan 6-2-47

Written off 7-12-1947: The aircraft was leading a battle formation, and during a cross over manoeuvre, it was struck by the No.3 aircraft, Spitfire LF.XVI TE314. Damage was sustained to the port wing and aileron but the pilot (Pilot Officer David Edward Morgan) stayed in the aircraft in an attempt to recover it to base.

However, he eventually decided to bail out, but abandoned the aircraft at too low an altitude, and was killed when his parachute did not deploy before he hit the ground. Spitfire RW355 crashed at Long Sutton, four miles south of Somerton, Somerset, and caught fire on impact with the ground.

Crew of Spitfire RW355:
P/O (187267) David Edward MORGAN (pilot) RAF: Killed on active service 7/12/47.

According to a contemporary newspaper report (The Times, Monday, December 8, 1947. p.6):
"SPITFIRE PILOT KILLED.
Pilot Officer MORGAN was killed after two Spitfires from Llandow, Glamorgan, came into collision over Somerset yesterday. Sergeant HODGSON, pilot of the other aircraft, bailed out and landed safely. Pilot Officer Morgan's Aircraft crashed in a field at Othery and the other fell near Long Sutton"

Glasgow Herald 8th Dec 1947 Page 5 Col 4:
"Planes in Collision
A pilot officer was killed and a Sgt Pilot bailed out and landed safely after 2 Spitfires from Llandow were in collision over Somerset".

Aircraft deemed "damaged beyond repair" and struck off charge as Cat. E(FA) on 8-1-48

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.360
3. Glasgow Herald 8th December 1947 p.5
4. The Times, Monday, December 8, 1947. p.6.
5. 614 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-6-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2522: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505160
6. "RAF Write offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.2 1978: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
7. http://ciapoldiescorner.blogspot.co.uk/2008/12/614-sqn-aircraft.html
8. http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p098.htm
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2965305/morgan,-david-edward/
10. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RW355
11. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?14704-Morgan-David-Edward-614-Sqd&p=86834#post86834
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Sutton,_Somerset

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jan-2012 14:59	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type]
27-Apr-2013 21:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
30-Apr-2013 16:37	Nepa	Updated [Operator]
29-Nov-2019 02:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]
05-May-2023 16:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Time, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]]
06-May-2023 17:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Time, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]]]
26-Aug-2023 21:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[Time, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]]]]