Date:	Thursday 21 March 1946
Time:	afternoon
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX
Owner/operator:	595 Sqn RAF
Registration:	PT766
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bishopston, Gower Peninsula, 6mi WSW of Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea, West Glamorgan, South Wales
Destination airport:	RAF Aberporth, Ceredigion

Narrative:
PT766, Spitfire Mk IX: Delivered to the RAF at 33 MU Lyneham 11-8-44. Issued to 345 (GC II/2 'Berry') (Free French) Squadron RAF 1-9-44 as "2Y-A", flown by Jean-Marine Accart, Commanding Officer of 345 Squadron.

345 (GC II/2 'Berry') (Free French) Sqaudron RAF was formed on 12-2-44 at Ayr, from French personnel transferred from North Africa. It served with 2nd Tactical Air Force, taking part in the liberation of Europe in 1944-45. After the war the squadron remained on the continent, and on 21-11-45 it was transferred to the Armee de l'Air. Even in RAF service, French roundels were used.

Cat C Aircraft accident 30-9-44; collided with another Spitfire at RAF Deanland, Lewes, West Sussex at the end of a bomber escort sortie. Repaired on site by ASTE (Airwork Service Training Eastleigh) and returned to service 24-1-45. Issued to 595 Squadron, RAF Fairwood Common, Swansea, Glamorgan 21-11-45.

This Spitfire dived into ground from cloud at Bishopston Glamorgan on 21-3-46; pilot Flying Officer James Stuart Abbott was killed. In the book "Fallen Flyers" by S.H. Jones (page 54) states aircraft remains were excavated in March 1975 by the South Wales Historical Aircraft Preservation Society, and the engine displayed at their museum at Rhoose until it disbanded in the 1990's. Further Remains removed by Ian Hodgkiss in Summer 2009 (see links #11 & #12)

595 AAC Squadron ORB (RAF Form 540) entry for 21.03.1946 "Aberporth - Weather bad and deteriorated even worse - cancelled flying here. F/O Abbott lost in crash out of cloud near Fairwood Common. No logical explanation given as cloud was only 3/10ths and weather at Fairwood Common quite good. Sqn Ldr Hancock flew to Fairwood Common but returned by road." (See link #5)

Funeral of F/O Abbott confirmed as 25-3-1946

A contemporary local newspaper covered the inquest into the death of the pilot (held in Swansea) as he was local to the Nottingham area: the "Nottingham Journal" of March 26th 1946 reported the following...

"Bridgford Pilot's Fate: Hit Electric Wires
A verdict that death was due to multiple injuries caused by the crashing of a Spitfire was recorded at a Swansea inquest, yesterday, on Flying Officer James Stuart Alan Abbott, R.A.F., of Kingston Road, West Bridgford.

The plane crashed on 21 March when it came into contact with overhead electric wires just after leaving Harewood [sic] aerodrome. It was stated that the machine had been checked and found satisfactory. Abbott had been in the R.A.F. for four years, and was an experienced pilot."

The reference to "Harewood aerodrome" is believed be a mis-reporting of FAIRWOOD aerodrome (RAF Fairwood Common, near Swansea). The crash location was approx. 3 miles south-south east of RAF Fairwood Common.

Crew:
F/O (198309) James Stuart Abbott (Pilot) RAFVR: Killed in active service 21-3-46, buried at St. Hilary’s Churchyard, Killay, Swansea, Glamorgan, United Kingdom

The reported crash location of Bishopston (Welsh: Llandeilo Ferwallt) is a hamlet and community situated on the Gower Peninsula, some 6 miles (9.7 km) west south west of the centre of Swansea in South Wales, at approximate coordinates 51.575°N 4.051°W

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.34. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.98
3. "Nottingham Journal" of March 26th 1946
4. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 2003 page 77)
5. 595 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book) for the period 1-12-43 to 31-01-47: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/2056/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8415204
6. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p093.html
8. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=PT766
9. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2717277/james-stuart-abbott/
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26542857/james-stuart-abbott
11. https://forum.keypublishing.com/forum/historic-aviation/97228-spitfire-re-dig
12. Aviation Archology October 2009: http://www.redkitebooks.co.uk/aa/ex09_SpitfireIX_Cardiff.html
13. Spitfire PT766, September 1944: https://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.com/2014/01/french-spitfire-pilots-in-raf-gc-iii.html
14. https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=fsxacrp&DLID=190144
15. Scale Aircraft Modelling Magazine, Vol.21, No.5, July 1999: http://wpalette.com/en/pictures/40813
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._595_Squadron_RAF#Squadron_bases
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishopston,_Swansea
18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Fairwood_Common#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Oct-2013 06:13	JINX	Added
27-Mar-2015 18:51	James JUMP	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
16-May-2019 01:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
06-Nov-2019 20:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Jun-2021 23:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Category]
23-Jun-2021 23:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
07-May-2023 21:47	Nepa	Updated [[Source, Narrative]]
08-Jul-2023 21:38	Nepa	Updated [[[Source, Narrative]]]
27-Aug-2023 10:13	Nepa	Updated [[[[Source, Narrative]]]]
17-Sep-2023 14:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[[Source, Narrative]]]]]