Date:	Wednesday 24 November 1948
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	631 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TE435
MSN:	Desford
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Harlech Beach, Harlech, Merionethshire, Wales -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales
Destination airport:	RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales

Narrative:
TE435: Spitfire LF XVI. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Desford, with Merlin M266 engine. To 29MU RAF High Ercall, Shropshire 25-7-45. Issued to 631 Squadron, RAF Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales coded '6D-U' on 16-3-46.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 24-11-48 in a forced landing crashed on the beach at Harlech Beach, Harlech, Merionethshire. The cause of the incident was engine failure, probably due to the pilot failing to use the fuel booster pump.

Not repaired; declared FACE (Flying Accident Cat. E) 24-11-48 and Struck Off Charge 3-8-49

631 Squadron was formed at RAF Towyn on 1-12-43, from 1605 Flight and 1628 Flight for anti-aircraft co-operation duties, and operated a variety of aircraft in this role. On 10-5-45 the squadron moved to RAF Llanbedr. It was disbanded on 11-2-49 when redesignated No. 20 Squadron RAF

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.449
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 631 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-6-1946 to 31-1-1949: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2529: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505167
5. "RAF Write offs 1948": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.1 1979: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/90885-te435
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TE435
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TE435
9. TE435 at RAF Llanbedr in 1948: https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1390493
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._631_Squadron_RAF
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlech

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

4 July 1949

TE355

203 AFS RAF

0

RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon, England

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Apr-2023 16:44	Dr. John Smith	Added
16-Aug-2023 16:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated