Spitfire Passing
Headcorn in Kent and the vintage aircraft are flying - what a sight ! This is St George flown by Aero Legends -----
TD314 was built at Castle Bromwich in late 1944 and fitted with a Merlin 70 as a High Level Fighter (HFIXE). She was one of the last high back Spitfires built as the production line switched to low back aircraft in February of 1945. She was delivered to 33 MU at Lyneham on 30th March 1945, transferring later that month to 30 MU before a further move to 6 MU where she was prepared for service with 183 (Gold Coast) Squadron at Chilbolton on the 24th June 1945. 183 squadron only kept its Spitfires for a short time before re-equipping with Tempests.
TD314 moved to 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron at Bentwaters on 26th July 1945, it is in this squadrons colours that she is currently finished with the squadron codes of FX-P. Whilst with 234 squadron it is possible that TD314 took part in the 1945 Battle of Britain flypast over London. When 234 squadron converted to Meteors TD314 was transferred to 29 MU at High Ercall for disposal on the 27th February 1946.
In early 1948 TD314 was selected as one of the 136 Spitfire IXs to be sold to the South African Air Force and she was sent to 47 MU RAF Sealand where she was packed for shipment, leaving Birkenhead on the SS Clan Chattan 23rd April and arriving at Cape Town on the 12th May 1948. Details of her use with the SAAF are not known but she was sold for scrapping to the South African Metal & Machinery CO, Salt River, Cape Town, sometime during 1954. She remained in the scrap yard until recovered by Larry Barnett of Johannesburg in 1969. From there she passed through the hands of several owners before arriving in the UK via Canada in 2009.
Acquired by Aero Legends in 2011, restoration commenced at Biggin Hill culminating in a first flight on the 7th December 2013. TD314 is heavily featured in the new Haynes manual on Spitfire restoration having its picture pride of place on the front cover. TD314 has been named “St. George” which is prominently displayed on the fuselage .
Today ( 20/07/2018 ) we hear in the news of the sad passing of one of the heroes of the skies :-
The youngest Spitfire pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain has died.
Geoffrey Wellum, who was just 18 when he joined the RAF in August 1939, died at his home in Cornwall on Wednesday evening, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust said.
One of the “Few”, the decorated veteran airman was approaching his 97th birthday.
The former squadron leader served on the front line with 92 Squadron and some of his first combat missions included the “dogfights” above London and the Home Counties for which the Battle of Britain became known.
He went on to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and was promoted to Flight Commander with 65 Squadron and later led eight Spitfires from HMS Furious to relieve Malta.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust’s secretary Patrick Tootal said members of the charity’s staff and volunteers had been “much saddened by the news”, adding: “Only this week Sqn Ldr Wellum had been talking enthusiastically about attending the Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey on 16 September.”
Speaking in 2013, Mr Wellum told how he was sent out to fly while still in his teens.
“Somebody said: ‘Here’s a Spitfire – fly it, and if you break it there will be bloody hell to pay’,” he said.
“I ended with 146 hours of flying time.
“Looking at my life now, I had peaked at about 21 or 22.
“It was just lovely blokes, all together in Fighter Squadron.”
Mr Wellum stayed on in the RAF until 1960 and went on to write a best-seller about his experiences in the war – his 2002 memoir First Light.
The book was later adapted into a film for BBC television.
Mr Wellum’s death follows that of Wing Commander Tom ‘Ginger’ Neil last Wednesday.
Winston Churchill's words still ring true .
I think it was Geoffrey that once said in a documentary :-
" You don't get into a Spitfire - You strap it on !!! "
Spitfire Passing
Headcorn in Kent and the vintage aircraft are flying - what a sight ! This is St George flown by Aero Legends -----
TD314 was built at Castle Bromwich in late 1944 and fitted with a Merlin 70 as a High Level Fighter (HFIXE). She was one of the last high back Spitfires built as the production line switched to low back aircraft in February of 1945. She was delivered to 33 MU at Lyneham on 30th March 1945, transferring later that month to 30 MU before a further move to 6 MU where she was prepared for service with 183 (Gold Coast) Squadron at Chilbolton on the 24th June 1945. 183 squadron only kept its Spitfires for a short time before re-equipping with Tempests.
TD314 moved to 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron at Bentwaters on 26th July 1945, it is in this squadrons colours that she is currently finished with the squadron codes of FX-P. Whilst with 234 squadron it is possible that TD314 took part in the 1945 Battle of Britain flypast over London. When 234 squadron converted to Meteors TD314 was transferred to 29 MU at High Ercall for disposal on the 27th February 1946.
In early 1948 TD314 was selected as one of the 136 Spitfire IXs to be sold to the South African Air Force and she was sent to 47 MU RAF Sealand where she was packed for shipment, leaving Birkenhead on the SS Clan Chattan 23rd April and arriving at Cape Town on the 12th May 1948. Details of her use with the SAAF are not known but she was sold for scrapping to the South African Metal & Machinery CO, Salt River, Cape Town, sometime during 1954. She remained in the scrap yard until recovered by Larry Barnett of Johannesburg in 1969. From there she passed through the hands of several owners before arriving in the UK via Canada in 2009.
Acquired by Aero Legends in 2011, restoration commenced at Biggin Hill culminating in a first flight on the 7th December 2013. TD314 is heavily featured in the new Haynes manual on Spitfire restoration having its picture pride of place on the front cover. TD314 has been named “St. George” which is prominently displayed on the fuselage .
Today ( 20/07/2018 ) we hear in the news of the sad passing of one of the heroes of the skies :-
The youngest Spitfire pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain has died.
Geoffrey Wellum, who was just 18 when he joined the RAF in August 1939, died at his home in Cornwall on Wednesday evening, the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust said.
One of the “Few”, the decorated veteran airman was approaching his 97th birthday.
The former squadron leader served on the front line with 92 Squadron and some of his first combat missions included the “dogfights” above London and the Home Counties for which the Battle of Britain became known.
He went on to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and was promoted to Flight Commander with 65 Squadron and later led eight Spitfires from HMS Furious to relieve Malta.
The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust’s secretary Patrick Tootal said members of the charity’s staff and volunteers had been “much saddened by the news”, adding: “Only this week Sqn Ldr Wellum had been talking enthusiastically about attending the Memorial Service at Westminster Abbey on 16 September.”
Speaking in 2013, Mr Wellum told how he was sent out to fly while still in his teens.
“Somebody said: ‘Here’s a Spitfire – fly it, and if you break it there will be bloody hell to pay’,” he said.
“I ended with 146 hours of flying time.
“Looking at my life now, I had peaked at about 21 or 22.
“It was just lovely blokes, all together in Fighter Squadron.”
Mr Wellum stayed on in the RAF until 1960 and went on to write a best-seller about his experiences in the war – his 2002 memoir First Light.
The book was later adapted into a film for BBC television.
Mr Wellum’s death follows that of Wing Commander Tom ‘Ginger’ Neil last Wednesday.
Winston Churchill's words still ring true .
I think it was Geoffrey that once said in a documentary :-
" You don't get into a Spitfire - You strap it on !!! "