Date:	Thursday 23 January 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF. IX
Owner/operator:	FC CS RAF
Registration:	MH496
MSN:	CBAF IX.5612
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Weston Zoyland, Bridgwater, Somerset -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Bovingdon, Hertfordshire
Destination airport:	RAF Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon

Narrative:
MH496; Spitfire LF IX, MSN CBAF IX.5612. Built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory) with Merlin M66 engine. To 33MU RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire 21-8-43. To 222 (Natal) Squadron 26-8-43. F/O E.D. Whalen flew Spitfire IX MH496 on 8-9-43 (Operation "Circus S1"). Cat. C (Repairable) accident; repaired on site 23-10-43. To 350 (Belgian) Squadron coded 'MN-Q' 30-1-44.

To 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF 12-2-44 coded 'RY-E'. On 20-2-44 the squadron moved to RAF Mendlesham in Suffolk. On 14-3-44 it moved again, to RAF Rochford in Essex. On 3-4-44 the squadron moved to RAF Appledram in West Sussex. On 22-5-44 Squadron Leader Alois Hochmál succeeded Bergman as commanding officer.

To 84GSU 22-6-44. To FCCS (Fighter Command Communications Sqn) RAF Bovingdon, Hertfordshire 22-3-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 23-1-47 when force landed and crashed near Weston Zoyland, Bridgwater, Somerset. The Spitfire's engine caught fire and failed when flying at 4,500 feet agl over Somerset. The pilot made an immediate forced landing in a field in Somerset, and the engine fire extinguished itself of its own accord after landing.

Not repaired; struck off charge as Cat. E(FA) 24-1-47

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.338
3. FCCS RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2570: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505208
4. RAF Write-offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1978 No 2: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
5. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-MZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
6. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MH496
7. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/84882-mh496
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MH496
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._222_Squadron_RAF#In_World_War_II
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/350th_Squadron_(Belgium)#With_the_Royal_Air_Force
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._313_Squadron_RAF#History
12. https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?9121-looking-for-a-few-first-names-No-222-Squadron&p=53260#post53260
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset

A Spitfire LF IX of No 313 Squadron undergoing an oil change at Appledram ALG (advanced landing ground), near Tangmere, 19 April 1944. The three Czech-manned Spitfire squadrons flying escort operations from Appledram at this time (Nos 310, 312 and 313) formed part of No 84 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force. (IWM/Crown Copyright - Public Domain)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-May-2023 08:30	Nepa	Updated
07-Sep-2023 02:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated