Date:	Wednesday 3 April 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	10 Sqn RIAF
Registration:	JG314
MSN:	KEA.4965
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bargachia, Howrah District, West Bengal -   India
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Yelahanka, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Destination airport:	Bargachia, Howrah District, West Bengal
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
JG314: Spitfire LF. VIII, MSN KEA. 4965. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Merlin M66 engine. First Flown 23-10-43 at Keevil. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 6-11-43. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 19-11-43 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the SS 'Leerdam' 13-12-43, arriving India 26-1-44. To 81 Squadron RAF, at Alipore, India in January 1944, equipped with more modern Spitfire VIII, starting operations in January, flying fighter and ground attack missions in support of the Second Battle of Arakan and the Battle of Imphal as part of the RAF Third Tactical Air Force

To 67 Squadron, RAF. The squadron re-assembled at Alipore and formed part of the defence of Calcutta, converting to Spitfires in February 1944. The squadron disbanded officially on 23-8-45 at Akyab, but kept its aircraft till the end of the month.

To 10 Squadron RIAF at RIAF Yelahanka, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India on or after 23-8-45 when 67 Squadron disbanded at Akyab, India

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 3-4-46 when tailwheel failed to lower on landing at Bargachia, Howrah District, West Bengal, India. The aircraft landed with the tailwheel retracted due to a failure of the locking mechanism. The pilot was uninjured.

Crew of Spitfire JG314
P/O (IND/2967) Robin Louis James Jebb (Pilot) RIAF- survived uninjured.

Bargachia is a census town in Jagatballavpur CD Block of Howrah Sadar subdivision in Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is 25 km from the state's capital, Kolkata. The nearest towns are Jagatballavpur, Domjur, Pantihal, Garbalia and Munsirhat.

Not repaired; Struck Off Charge 1-6-47 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.116
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft JA100-JZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 10 Sqn RIAF ORB for the period 1-5-1945 to 31-7-1947: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/156/3: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8408114
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.97: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p047.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/JG314
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89079-jg314
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=JG314
10. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/JG314
11. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/2967
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._81_Squadron_RAF#Second_World_War
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._67_Squadron_RAF#World_War_II
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._10_Squadron_IAF
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bargachia

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jul-2023 08:47	Nepa	Updated
16-Sep-2023 14:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated