Date:	Tuesday 9 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
Owner/operator:	10 AGS RAF
Registration:	AR323
MSN:	WA.
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumberland, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumberland
Destination airport:	RAF Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumberland
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
AR323: Spitfire Vb. Built by Westland Aircraft Yeovil with Merlin 45M engine. Delivered to the RAF at 8 MU Little Rissington, Gloucestershire 12-2-42. First issued to 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron RAF 8-3-42. To 242 Squadron 2-6-42. To 222 Squadron 11-8-42. To 64 Squadron, RAF West Malling, Maidstone, Kent 31-3-43. Frequently flown by Pilot Officer Armstrong, Spitfire AR323 was named "Spithead Billy"

FAAC (Flying Accident Cat. C) 24-4-43: ros (Repaired on Site). To 118 Squadron 25-9-43. Transferred to USAAF - to 67 Group USAAF 6-1-44. To 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, USAAF. Damaged in a Landing accident at Aldermaston. Berkshire 8-2-44.

Repaired and returned to RAF charge, then issued to 130 Squadron 24-5-44. FACB (Flying Accident Cat. B) 12-6-44. To AST (Airwork Service Training). To 10 AGS RAF Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumberland, 30-11-44

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 9-4-46 in a landing accident at RAF Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumberland. The pilot - Warrant Officer G H Bourne - committed himself to landing Spitfire AR323 with only the elevator trim tabs for control. The aircraft was pitching badly, and 'bounced' on touchdown at RAF Walney Island, the shock loading of the bounce caused the undercarriage to collapse.

Warrant Officer Bourne was awarded a 'Green Endorsement' in his flying log book for the outstanding way he had handled the situation.

NOTE: Some published sources (e.g., link #3) state that the Spitfire involved was AR523. This is not the case: Spitfire AR523 (as RAAF serial A58-2) was "QY-F" of 452 Squadron, RAAF. It was shot down in air-to-air combat, crashed and was destroyed on 30-6-43 when flew into the ground in a very remote location somewhere south west of Batchelor Airfield in what is today Litchfield National Park, Northern Territories, Australia. Pilot, Flt Sgt. Colin Ronald Duncan survived with injuries. It was not until 73 years later, on 30 September 2016 that the wreckage was rediscovered.

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.37 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.123
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft AA100-AZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p021.html
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.98: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrow/Walney_Island_Airport#No._10_Air_Gunnery_School
7. https://www.facebook.com/RAFPeterheadHeritageSociety/posts/106185851050897
8. http://www.rafjever.org/118squadhistory2.htm
9. Spitfire AR523: https://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/nt194.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jul-2021 22:00	Dr. John Smith	Added
05-Jul-2021 22:42	TB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator]
07-Jul-2021 17:50	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
03-Jul-2023 17:42	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[Narrative]]
16-Sep-2023 13:48	Dr. John Smith	Updated [[[Narrative]]]