Date:	Friday 31 January 1947
Time:
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV
Owner/operator:	2 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TZ196
MSN:	6S 676537
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany -   Germany
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Celle, Lower Saxony
Destination airport:	RAF Celle, Lower Saxony
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
TZ196: Spitfire FR XIV, MSN 6S 676537. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, with Griffon G65 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 15-6-45. To 2 Squadron RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany 26-7-45

Written off (destroyed) 31-1-47 in a mid-air collision with Spitfire NH896 (also of 2 Squadron) over RAF Celle, Lower Saxony, West Germany. Both pilots of both Spitfires (NH896 and TZ196) disobeyed orders by flying in a tight 'paired' formation at low level over the airfield at RAF Celle. During the formation flight, Spitfire NH896 was the lead aircraft, and was destroyed in a collision with Spitfire TZ196 which hit the lead Spitfire from behind, severing its tail. Both aircraft went out of control and dived into the ground within the airfield boundary of RAF Celle. The pilots of both aircraft were killed.

Crew of Spitfire TZ196:
Flt/Lt (155049) Donald George Barnard (pilot) RAFVR- Killed on active service 31-1-47;
buried at Hannover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Seelze Region, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany

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.269
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 2 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1942 to 31-3-1955: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2876: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2505513
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/80281-tz196
7. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=2271
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TZ196
9. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2198109/donald-george-barnard/
10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18583788/donald-george-barnard
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._2_Squadron_RAF#Cold_War_(1945%E2%80%931988)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Sep-2023 01:16	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Sep-2023 08:10	Nepa	Updated