Accident Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb BM326,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 281404
 
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Date:Thursday 24 December 1942
Time:c. 23:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic SPIT model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
Owner/operator:165 (Ceylon) Sqn RAF
Registration: BM326
MSN: CBAF
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:4 miles southeast of Horsham, Sussex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Tangmere, Sussex
Destination airport:RAF Tangmere
Narrative:
Spitfire BM326 took off from RAF Tangmere at 23:25 on 24/12/1942 on a night flying practice flight.
Not long after take off the fighter dived vertically into the ground near Horsham and exploded.
The Spitfire was destroyed and its pilot was killed in this severe crash.

It was believed that failure of the pilot's supplementary oxygen system caused him to lose consciousness in flight.

Sgt Wilton McBride SAGE, NZ415370 RNZAF, is buried at Tangmere ( St Andrew ) Churchyard.
R.I.P.

Sources:

https://aircrewremembered.com/sage-wilton-mcbride.html
Spitfire production list

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
22 October 1940 P7364 74 Sqn RAF 0 Hadlow Place, Tonbridge, Kent, England w/o
24 April 1941 P7531 91 Sqn RAF 0 Sea off Ramsgate, Kent, England w/o
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9 August 1941 P8676 308 (Krakowski) Sqn RAF 1 Ruislip, Middlesex, England w/o
7 September 1941 P8716 452 Sqn RAAF 1 Near Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon, Surrey, England w/o
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24 November 1941 P8661 3 ADF RAF 1 Near Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales w/o
8 January 1942 P8702 350 (Belgium) Sqn RAF 0 Near RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales w/o
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14 January 1942 P8666 504 (County of Nottingham) Sqn RAF 0 Near Kirkistown, County Down, Northern Ireland w/o
28 January 1942 P8697 54 Sqn RAF 1 Near RAF Castletown, Caithness, Scotland w/o
10 April 1942 P8710 129 (Mysore) Sqn RAF 0 Rottingdean, near Brighton, Sussex, England w/o
17 June 1942 BM521 602 ( City of Glasgow ) Sqn RAF 1 Cuckfield nr Horsham, Sussex, England w/o
8 July 1942 P8706 164 (Argentine-British) Sqn RAF 0 Near RAF Skeabrae, Orkney, Scotland w/o
3 November 1942 P8692 53 OTU RAF 1 Sea off the coast of Wales mis
26 February 1943 P8720 501 (City of Gloucester) Sqn RAF 0 Golf Course at Cloughey, south of Ballyhalbert, Ireland w/o
6 March 1943 P8010 CGS RAF 0 Pandora Sand, The Wash, 7 miles north of Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England w/o
7 March 1943 P8574 52 OTU RAF 1 Slimbridge, Gloucester, England w/o
6 April 1943 P8671 57 OTU RAF 0 Goswick Sands, Northumberland, England w/o
2 July 1943 P8694 58 OTU RAF 1 Drip Moss Farm, Westhaugh, about 2.5 miles NW of Stirling, Scotland w/o
9 July 1943 BM323 19 Sqn RAF 1 Millbank Farm near RAF Newchurch, Newchurch, Kent, England w/o
1 October 1943 P8675 AFDU RAF 0 RAF Dalton, North Yorkshire, England w/o
18 October 1943 P8693 2 TEU RAF 1 Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland w/o
26 January 1944 P8665 61 OTU RAF 1 Ruthin, 4 miles north of Gellifor, Denbighshire, Wales w/o
6 June 1944 EN821 808 NAS FAA RN 1 English Channel near le Havre, France w/o
13 June 1944 MK235 421 (Red Indian) Sqn RCAF 1 The English Channel, about 8 miles off the English coast w/o
20 September 1944 P8660 CGS RAF 0 RAF Catfoss, Yorkshire, England w/o

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
12-Aug-2022 09:09 angels one five Added
12-Aug-2022 09:15 angels one five Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative]
13-Aug-2022 04:52 angels one five Updated [Operator]

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