Date:	Thursday 29 May 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	11 Sqn RAF
Registration:	RN219
MSN:	6S 663435
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Yonago, Western Tottori Prefecture -   Japan
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Miho Air Base, Sloustin Island, Japan
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
RN219: Spitfire FR XIV, MSN 6S 663435. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Aldermaston with Griffon G65. To 39MU RAF Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire 1-5-45. To 82MU RAF Lichfield, Fradley, Staffordshire 19-6-45 for packing and crating for overseas shipment. Shipped on the ss 'Empire Gambia' 5-8-45, arriving India 30-8-45. To ACSEA (Air Command South East Asia) 13-9-45. To 4 Squadron RIAF in early 1946.

On 8-4-46, HMS Vengeance sailed with 22 aircraft of 4 Squadron RIAF, berthed at Singapore for refueling and set course for Iwakuni, a port of Kyushu Island. The aircraft carrier finally arrived at Air Station Iwakuni and was anchored midstream. The decision taken earlier to fly the aircraft off the carrier was changed since excellent facilities were provided for off-loading and transporting the aircraft.

The squadron was given a temporary base at Air Station Iwakuni until the rest of the personnel arrived. Shortly thereafter, the squadron moved to its permanent location at Miho on Sloustin Island. From here the squadron undertook various flying tasks which were mainly maritime patrol over the sea to ensure there was no subversive activity or smuggling. The stay at Miho was an interesting one and a lot of extracurricular functions were undertaken. The squadron returned to India in February 1947 and was located at Kanpur.

To 11 Squadron RAF in February 1947. 11 (or XI) Squadron formed part of the occupation forces in Japan from August 1945 to February 1948, when it disbanded.

Written off (destroyed) 30-5-47 when struck the ground during a mock attack; the Spitfire dived into the ground at Yonago, Western Tottori Prefecture Japan 30-5-47. During a range firing sortie, the pilot allowed the Spitfire to descend too low while making an air to ground firing pass, possibly due to lack of spatial awareness. The Spitfire flew into sand dunes beyond the firing range, and disintegrated on impact. The pilot was killed instantly

Pilot of Spitfire RN219:
Pilot II (568320) Edward John Kite, RAF (Pilot, aged 27) - killed on active service 30-5-47; Buried or commemorated at Yokohama War Cemetery. Yokohama, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan

Miho Airbase (美保飛行場) (IATA: YGJ, ICAO: RJOH), also known as Yonago Airport is a Japan Air Defense Force (JASDF) base located 11 km northwest of Yonago in Tottori Prefecture. It is owned and operated by JASDF and shares the runway with civil activities.

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.353
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 11 Sqn RAF ORB: for the period 1-9-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2394/29: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8419056
5. "RAF Write offs 1947": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.2 1978: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1978.pdf
6. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80110-rn219
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=25351
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/RN219
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2208292/edward-john-kite/
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12971026/edward-john-kite
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._4_Squadron_IAF
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._11_Squadron_RAF#Since_1945
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yonago
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miho-Yonago_Airport#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Sep-2023 03:57	Dr. John Smith	Added
01-Sep-2023 04:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated
01-Sep-2023 09:12	Nepa	Updated