Date:	Monday 28 January 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX
Owner/operator:	CGS RAF
Registration:	NH411
MSN:	CBAF.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Molescroft Grange Farm, Grange Way, Beverley, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Leconfield, Beverely, East Yorkshire
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
NH411: Spitfire LF. IX built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin 66 engine. Delivered to the RAF at 9 MU RAF Cosford 29-4-44. First issued to 416 ("City of Oshawa") (Canadian) Squadron 6-7-44. On 14-7-44 while with 416 Squadron, and piloted by Flying Officer A J "Bud" Fraser, shot down a Me-109F in combat over Villers-Bocage, France. F/Lt Danny Noonan describes the first encounter at 13:20 hours:

"I was flying east towards Villers at 2,500 feet through broken cloud as Blue One. With Blue Two (F/O Fraser) we saw three aircraft flying west through a flak barrage, slightly above to port. We broke port on to their tails and recognized two Me 109s and one FW 190. I engaged an Me 109 at about 600 yards, closing to 300 yards deflection 10°. There were cannon and machine-gun strikes around the cockpit and fuselage, after giving four short bursts I saw a flash and broke to port onto the tail of the other Me 109. The pilot of first Me 109 was seen to bail out by F/O Fraser.

"I chased the second Me 109 through several layers of cloud, giving short bursts at 5° to 10° deflection and at 600 to 800 yards. The enemy aircraft took very little evasive action. After using all cannon ammunition, I saw the hood come off the enemy aircraft and it poured black smoke from the engine. I took several camera shots and then called on Blue Two to engage. Shortly after this, the pilot of the enemy aircraft bailed out."

F/O A J "Bud" Fraser had initially gone after the FW 190 and got in a couple of bursts before catching up again with his number one. As described by Noonan, Fraser polished off the second Bf 109. Noonan was granted one destroyed and one shared destroyed, while Fraser was granted a shared destroyed and one FW 190 damaged. It is suspected that the three lone aircraft were from JG 2. FW 190s were flown by I./JG 2 while II. /JG 2 flew Bf 109s. If this assumption is correct then the FW 190 survived to fight another day while the two Bf 109s were lost when Unteroffizier Erich Schiek and Lieutenant Paul Müngersdorf parachuted to safety.

Cat C damaged on operations 27-9-44. Repaired then issued to 443 (Hornet)(Canadian) Squadron 14-12-44, RAF Holmesley South as part of No.144 Wing RAF, 2nd Tactical Air Force coded "2I-J" To 6 MU RAF Brize Norton 28-2-45. To Cunliffe-Owen 22-6-45 modifications. To CGS (Central Gunnery School) RAF Leconfield 20-7-45.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) in a FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) accident when engine failed takeoff from RAF Leconfield. Aircraft made a 'wheels up' landing in a field at Molescroft Grange Farm, Grange Way, Beverley, North Yorkshire 28-1-46. Struck Off Charge 5-2-46

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.29 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.49
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft NA100-NA999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. CGS RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR29/1789: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4101499
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/p079.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/NH411
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/86766-nh411
9. http://www3.sympatico.ca/angels_eight/127day04.html
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/416_Tactical_Fighter_Squadron
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/443_Maritime_Helicopter_Squadron#Formation_and_World_War_II
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Leconfield#Post_War

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Jun-2021 21:50	Dr. John Smith	Added
03-Jun-2021 21:54	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
03-Jun-2021 21:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
03-Jun-2021 21:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
20-Jun-2021 23:33	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
22-Jul-2023 13:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Operator, Operator]]
27-Aug-2023 10:07	Nepa	Updated [[[Operator, Operator]]]
18-Sep-2023 12:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[[Operator, Operator]]]]