Date:	Tuesday 15 April 1947
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	AFS RIAF
Registration:	MT832
MSN:	6S 729072
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana -   India
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India
Destination airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
MT832: Spitfire LF VIII, MSN 6S 729072. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Eastleigh, Southampton Hampshire with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 10-7-44. Cat. C (Repairable) damage: repaired on site 25-7-44. To 215MU RAF Locharbriggs, Dumfries 8-9-44 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. Shipped on the ss 'Alder Park' 7-10-44. arriving India 19-11-44. In June 1945, No. 17 Squadron upgraded to the Spitfire Mk. XIVe. The Squadron was withdrawn from Burma to prepare for the invasion of Malaya. However, due to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they were simply taken by the carrier HMS Trumpeter to the landing beaches near Penang in early September, soon after the Japanese capitulation.

Transferred to the AFS (Advanced Flying School), RIAF in April 1946. When 17 Squadron moved to Japan in April 1946, Spitfire MT832 was 'left behind' and then transferred to the RIAF

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 15-4-47: Engine lost power and aircraft undershot on landing at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India. The pilot had been experiencing recent engine problems, probably caused by his flying the Spitfire inverted with the fuel booster pump selected in the "OFF" position, which caused an air lock in the fuel system. The Spitfire returned to base (RIAF Ambala) for a precautionary landing. However, during the final turn on approach to base, the Spitfire side-slipped and stalled short of the runway

Crew of Spitfire MT832:
Pilot Officer (IND/3365) Urmston George Wright, RIAF (pilot) - survived uninjured

The same pilot (promoted to Flying Officer on 1-6-47) was involved in a combat mission on 3-10-48 when he was shot down in a "friendly fire" incident while flying Hawker Tempest II HA-363. While on a combat mission, the Tempest was shot down by AAA fire from his own side! The pilot retired from the RIAF on 2-6-49 when he resigned his commission. He emigrated to Pakistan before January 1950 and became the Chief Instructor of Karachi Aero Club from 1950 to 1952.

Damage assessed as Cat E 15-4-47. Not repaired, Struck Off Charge 24-4-47

1. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.291
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft MA100-NZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p075.html
4. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=MT832
5. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89794-mt832
6. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/MT832
7. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3365
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/MT832
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambala_Air_Force_Station#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Sep-2023 19:53	Nepa	Updated