Date:	Wednesday 23 January 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk XI
Owner/operator:	680 Sqn RAF
Registration:	EN412
MSN:	CHA.4005
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Shaibah, near Az Zubayr, 7 miles south west of Basrah -   Iraq
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Shaibah, Basrah Governate, Iraq
Destination airport:	RAF Shaibah, Basrah Governate
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
EN412: Spitfire PR. XI, MSN CHA.4005. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M61 engine. First Flown 19-2-43 at Chattis Hill. To 45MU RAF Kinloss, Morayshire 25-2-43. To RAF Benson, Oxfordshire 12-3-43. To 683 Squadron RAF Luqa, Malta 1-5-43. To Middle East 30-9-43. To 680 Squadron 30-9-43. To 132MU RAF Helwan, Egypt 5-6-44. To 74 OTU RAF Aqir, Tel Nof, Palestine later in July 1944. Returned to 680 Squadron, Deversoir, Egypt 25-2-45

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when tyre burst on take-off at RAF Shaibah, near Az Zubayr, 7 miles (11 km) south west of Basrah, Basrah Governate, Iraq. During the takeoff run, the tyre burst, but the aircraft still managed to get airborne safely. The pilot raised the undercarriage and completed the pre-planned sortie normally. On return to base, a wheels-up landing was made

Nor repaired; Struck Off Charge 28-2-46 as Cat. E(FA)

No. 680 Squadron RAF was formed in February 1943 from 'A' Flight of No. 2 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), equipped with a variety of aircraft including Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes, Bristol Beaufighters and Lockheed Electra's. After the end of the war, (8 May 1945) 680 Squadron flew surveying missions in the Middle East, before being disbanded by renumbering it to No. 13 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1946. Between 25 February 1945 and 9 July 1946, the unit was based at RAF Deversoir, Egypt, with Detachments based at Iran, Iraq and Palestine. Between 9 July 1946 and 1 September 1946, the squadron was based at RAF Ein Shemer, Palestine.

Shaibah (Arabic: الشعيبة) is the name of a small village and a site of a military airfield near Az Zubayr, 7 miles (11 km) south west of Basrah in Iraq. It was the site of RAF Shaibah from 1920 until 1956 when it was then handed over to the Iraqi Air Force

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p 33. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft EA100-EZ999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain 1985)
3. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.45
4. 680 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-6-1941 to 30-4-1946: National Archives (PRO Kew) file AIR 27/2396: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505034
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/p035.html
7. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/EN412
8. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/91368-en412
9. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=EN412
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._683_Squadron_RAF
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._680_Squadron_RAF
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaibah_Air_Base#Royal_Air_Force_use

RAF Shaibah, Basrah Governate, Iraq: Airfield plan in 1947

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jul-2023 09:04	Nepa	Updated