Which RAF fighter did Roald Dahl fly when he crash-landed in Libya in 1940?

Roald Dahl was flying a Gloster Gladiator when he crash-landed in Libya in 1940.

Dahl had joined the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and was posted to No. 80 Squadron in North Africa. On 19 September 1940, he was ordered to land at a forward airstrip but could not locate it before darkness fell.

His aircraft struck the ground near Mersa Matruh. Dahl suffered severe injuries, including a fractured skull and spinal damage, and was rescued after the crash. He later recovered enough to return to flying duties.

The incident became an important episode in his early life and later appeared in accounts of his wartime experiences. It is sometimes misidentified as a Hurricane or Spitfire crash, but the aircraft was a Gloster Gladiator.