Date:	Friday 7 January 1949
Time:	15:30 LT
Type:	Hawker Tempest II
Owner/operator:	213 (Ceylon) Sqn RAF
Registration:
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Sainai Desert, near Rafah, North Sinai -   Egypt
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Fayid, Egypt
Destination airport:	RAF Fayid, Egypt

Narrative:
Shot down by an Israeli Supermarine Spitfire LF.9 near Rafah, North Sinai, Egypt [at approximate co-ordinates 31°17′19″N 34°14′28″E] on the Egypt/Palestine Border. The pilot - Pilot II Ronald Sayers - was killed. The fate of the pilot was debated in "Hansard", the official record of UK Parliamentery Debates on 2 February 1949:

"Mr. Teeling asked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the fact that the body of Pilot Officer Ronald Sayers who was shot down in Egyptian territory on 7th January has now been recovered and only temporarily buried, he will have the remains brought home to Brighton to be buried beside his mother; and who will bear the cost of this.

Mr. de Freitas
Pilot II Sayers was buried with military honours by the Egyptian authorities where his aircraft was shot down. In accordance with custom the Royal Air Force authorities in the Middle East are seeking to transfer the body to a military cemetery there, but if Mr. Sayers wishes it to be brought home instead my Department will be ready to give him every help. I am afraid that the cost cannot be met from public funds".

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.30 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.61
http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_255.shtml
3. 213 Sqaudron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Mininstry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1-11-45 to 30-9-54: National Archives (PRO Kew) file AIR 27/2469/6 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8421995
http://www.hawkertempest.se/index.php/contributions/stories/116-tempests-1947-1949-copyright-rufus-heald
4. http://www.spyflight.co.uk/iafvraf.htm
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafah,_Egypt
6. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1949-02-02/debates/3ab5f7d1-89ba-4798-8764-9239596b513b/PilotOfficerSayers(Burial)
7. https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/documents/research/RAF-Historical-Society-Journals/Journal-38.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jan-2015 20:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
24-Jan-2015 20:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Narrative]
19-Apr-2015 19:20	AlLah	Updated [Operator]
03-Jun-2015 17:14	Opietz	Updated [Operator, Destination airport]
13-Jun-2021 20:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]