Date:	Thursday 20 May 1948
Time:	09:00 LT
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XVIII
Owner/operator:	32 Sqn RAF
Registration:	TZ220
MSN:	6S 676556
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Other fatalities:	2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Ramat David, 4 km south of Ramat Yishay, Palestine -   Israel
Phase:	Standing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Ramat David, Palestine
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Spitfire FR. XVIII TZ220, MSN 6S 676556. Built by Vickers Armstrong (Supermarine) at Keevil, Trowbridge, Wiltshire with Griffon G67 engine. To 6MU RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire 27-1-46. To RAF St. Mawgan, Cornwall, 4-7-46. To Mediterranean Air Command (Middle East) 6-8-46. To 32 Squadron at Ein Shemer, Palestine 12-2-48. 32 Squadron was based here between 3-10-46 and 25-3-48. To 32 Squadron, RAF Nicosia, Lefkosia, Cyprus 25-3-48

Written off 20-5-48: Destroyed on ground by Egyptian Spitfires in a dive-bombing attack. The Arab-Israeli conflict of 1948 saw the RAF with aircraft and personnel based both in Egypt and Israel (Palestine), with all three countries operating Spitfires. Thew Royal Egyptian Air Force mounted attacks against Israel (Palestine). A series of raids were made on the airfield at RAF Ramat David, 4 km south of Ramat Yishay, Palestine by REAF Spitfires. During these raids, two RAF Spitfires were destroyed on the ground (Spitfires TZ220 and TP373, both of 32 Squadron, RAF).

In addition, three C-47 Douglas Dakotas (KP278, KN423 and KN481) were either destroyed or damaged beyond repair, and two ground crew were killed

Ground Crew Fatalities 20-5-48
AC.1 (Aircraftman 1st Class) Eric Yates, RAF - killed on active service 20-5-48
AC.2 (Aircraftman 2nd Class) Robert Short, RAF - killed on active service 20-5-48


Spitfire TZ220 was destroyed, and formally Struck Off Charge 24-6-48

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.394
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. 32 Sqn RAF ORB for the period 1-1-1946 to 31-12-1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2409/1: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8674237
6. "RAF Write offs 1948": Air Britain Aeromilitaria No.1 1979: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_1979.pdf
7. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p114.html
8. https://allspitfirepilots.org/aircraft/TZ220
9. https://www.avialogs.com/spitfire-and-seafire-registry/item/80488-tz220
10. https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=TZ220
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Shemer_Airfield#RAF_Ein_Shemer
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._32_Squadron_RAF#Post-war
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramat_David_Airbase#RAF_Ramat_David

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Aug-2023 21:20	Dr. John Smith	Updated
24-Aug-2023 07:49	Nepa	Updated
24-Aug-2023 11:21	Dr. John Smith	Updated