Date:	Monday 9 December 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk VIII
Owner/operator:	AFS RIAF
Registration:	NH636
MSN:	6S 326992
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana -   India
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
NH636: Spitfire LF VIII, MSN 6S 326992. Built by Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) at Chattis Hill with Merlin M66 engine. To 9MU RAF Cosford, Shropshire 11-12-44. To 222MU RAF North Luffenham 21-12-44 for packing and crating for shipment overseas. To 1 PATP, then shipped on the ss 'Mahadevi' 22-1-45, arriving India 19-2-45. To AFS (Advanced Flying School), RIAF at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India later in 1945

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 9-12-46 when struck by Spitfire FR. XIVe NH901 (also of the AFS) while parked at RIAF Ambala, Ambala Cantt, Haryana, India. No injuries to anyone on board either of the two Spitfires

Crew of Spitfire NH636:
Pilot Officer (IND/3337) Michael John O'Brian, RIAF (pilot, aged 19 at the time) - uninjured

The pilot of Spitfire NH636 was born on 1-5-1928, was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 29-4-46, and transferred to the Pakistan Air Force after the partition of India in October 1947. He rose through the ranks of the Pakistan Air Force to the rank of Air Vice Marshall. Retired from the Pakistan Air Force on 1-7-1976, and died 1-12-1995 at 67 years of age.

Damage to Spitfire NH636 assessed as Cat. E 9-12-46; Not repaired, Struck Off Charge 31-12-46

Spitfire NH901 was presumably repaired and returned to service, as it was Struck Off Charge until 29-12-47, with no reported accidents or incidents before or since the above

1. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.254
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p080.html
3. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=NH636
4. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/89995-nh636
5. "RAF Write-offs 1946": Air Britain Aeromilitaria 1979 p.104: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
6. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/NH636
7. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Aircraft/NH636
8. https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/3337
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambala_Air_Force_Station#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Sep-2023 01:58	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Sep-2023 08:23	Nepa	Updated