Date:	Saturday 26 January 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX
Owner/operator:	318 (City of Gdańsk) Sqn RAF
Registration:	PL254
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region -   Italy
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region
Destination airport:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region

Narrative:
PL254: Spitfire LF. IX, built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M66. To 9 MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 16-6-44. To 453 Squadron, RAAF as 'FU-U' 27-7-44. Hit by ground fire and force landed at ALG B.17, Caen/Carpiquet, France. (Pilot Flying Officer F.F. Cowpe). Damage assessed as Cat B 16-8-44. To AST (Airwork Service Training) for repairs. To 12 FU (ferry Unit) after repairs complete, then to 1 OADU (Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit) 6-3-45, arriving at MAAF (Mediterranean Allied Air Force) 10-3-45. To 318 "City of Gdańsk" Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron, RAF (Polish: 318 Dywizjon Myśliwsko-Rozpoznawczy Gdański"), Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region, Italy coded "LW-N" by July 1945.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 26-1-46 when engine cut, and force-landed near Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region, Italy 26-1-46. The aircraft's Merlin engine developed numerous fluid leaks and then cut out completely at 300 feet. Pilot Flying Officer B Stramik slightly injured.

Not repaired; Struck Off Charge 31-1-46 as Cat. E(FA).

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.48
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 318 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-7-1943 to 31-7-46: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1710/2: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8401304
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.94: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p087.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/PL254
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/86998-pl254
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PL254
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._318_Polish_Fighter-Reconnaissance_Squadron
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treviso_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Sep-2013 04:12	JINX	Added
27-Mar-2015 18:54	Jixon	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
25-May-2015 00:39	Ing Edcker	Updated [Operator]
13-Jun-2023 20:11	Nepa	Updated [[Operator]]
22-Jun-2023 02:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Operator]]]
22-Jul-2023 14:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[Operator]]]]
18-Sep-2023 12:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[[Operator]]]]]