Date:	Wednesday 10 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	92 Sqn RAF
Registration:	JF964
MSN:	EA.4744
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region -   Italy
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region
Destination airport:	Treviso, Province of Treviso, Veneto Region
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
JF964: Spitfire LF. VIII, MSN EA.4744. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Hampshire with Merlin M66 engine. First Flown at Eastleigh, Hampshire 3-9-43. To 39MU RAF Colerene, Chippenham, Wiltshire 5-9-43. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 15-9-43 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the SS 'Ocean Rider' 23-9-43, arriving Casablanca, Morocco 10-10-43. To North African ASC (Aircraft Servicing Centre) 31-10-43. To 417 ("City of Windsor") Squadron, RCAF coded 'AN-T' in November 1943

To 601 (County of London) Squadron RAF in Italy in mid-1944. To 145 Squadron RAF, also in Italy in early 1945. To MAAF (Mediterranean Allied Air Force) 21-6-45. To 92 Squadron RAF in Italy by 1-1-46

Written off (destroyed) 10-4-46: engine cut during aerobatics and aircraft struck a building at Treviso, Italy. The pilot was carrying out an aerobatic practice sortie when the engine failed, possibly due to flying the Spitfire inverted for an extended period, which was known to create an airlock in the fuel system. An attempt was made to make an immediate forced landing on the airfield at Treviso. However, the aircraft was too high on the approach, so the pilot made a gentle turn in order to try and lose altitude. Unfortunately, the aircraft lost altitude too rapidly, and struck the roof of a barn on final approach to Treviso. The aircraft burst into flames on impact. Aircraft destroyed by fire; pilot killed

Crew of Spitfire JF964:
Flt/Lt (122023) Owen Hafan Ellis Jones DFC (Pilot) RAFVR - killed on active service 10-4-46; Buried at Padua War Cemetery, Padua, Italy

The citation for the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) that he was awarded in May 1945 reads as follows:

"Flight Lieutenant Jones has displayed great skill and courage in air operations. He has completed very many sorties, including numerous successful attacks against enemy gun positions, tanks and locomotives. On a number of occasions his aircraft has been hit -by anti-aircraft fire but Flight Lieutenant Jones has never failed to press home his attack. Cool, courageous and relentless in action, this officer has set a splendid example"
- London Gazette No. 37059, Dated 1-5-145

Airframe damage assessed as Cat E 10-4-46 and aircraft struck off charge as Cat. E(FA)

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.12
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft JA100-JZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 92 Sqn RAF ORB for April 1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/747/32: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8455625
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2817349/owen-hafan-ellis-jones/
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p047.html
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/JF964
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/88970-jf964
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=24106
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/417_Combat_Support_Squadron#History
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._601_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._145_Squadron_RAF
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._92_Squadron_RAF#Cold_War
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treviso_Airport

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jul-2023 21:49	Dr. John Smith	Added
03-Jul-2023 08:12	Nepa	Updated
16-Sep-2023 13:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated