• Friendly fire is a rather well-known photo of an American Spitfire which force-landed at the beaches of Salerno. Full story follows.
  
  
• There is a general opinion is that RAF and commonwealth aircraft were rather below par with regard to personal markings, but there certainly were many exceptions contradicting the rule. The Australian pilot Jack Newton and his personal Pegasus emblem is the subject of our second photograph for today.

Labels: history, site updates, webmaster

One more photograph has been added today.

• "Spitfires can take it" is an image originating from HMSO publications of the time, interesting because it shows typical effects of a belly landing in a Spitfire.

Labels: history, site updates

• Deployment to France is a document of one of the first airstrips used to transfer fighter squadrons into France after D-Day, B4 Bény-sur-Mer.
  


• Little is known about overseas volunteer pilots in the ranks of the RAF, pilots which often came from the least expected places. Such as Trinidad or Barbados, as documented by this photo.

Labels: history, site updates

• The hundredth posting in out collection is, fittingly, a photograph which to my knowledge hasn't previously been published. The last Spitfire from Exeter shows a curiously dressed Spitfire hauled from a repair workshop in this city. An intriguing photo which raises many questions.



• Also in this update is Seafire's combat debut - an evidence of the Seafire's first operational use during Operation Torch.
  


• Lastly, as mentioned above, check our previous mystery photos and see if you can help laying down the puzzles!

Labels: history, site updates

• A new addition in Camouflage and Markings is the article written with the indispensable help of Bjørnar Norås and Nils Mathisrud from Norway. A Question of Foreign Markings tells the full story behind one of the most unusual markings to be seen on a Spitfire in the closing months of World War II - PV181 of the Norwegian ace W/Cdr Rolf Arne Berg.
  
  
• We have also an interesting, if unusual new addition in our Art & Memorabilia gallery. Mecha Spitfire is one of those attractive Japanese toy-robot-anime-comic mashups. Have a look.

Labels: history, reference, site updates

• Spitfire Mk. Vc in Sicily is an intriguing photo, but the one in need of additional information to identify the aircraft, units and people. Added yesterday to the Historic Photographs collection.  

Labels: history, site updates

• New in the Reference section is Y2-K Spitfire of F/Lt Arnold Roseland - colour analysis of the Spitfire Mk. IX serving with No. 442 Squadron RCAF, now a subject of a restoration project.
  
  
• In Product News & Reviews, we present JAYS Models Line of 1/72 Spitfire Kits.


• Finally, in Art & Memorabilia gallery we have a commendable Tribute to Pete Brothers, a contribution by Dutch artist Herman Veltorp.
  

Labels: history, reviews, site updates

• New pair of images have been added in Historic Photographs section. The first one is a rather unique gun camera footage from the period of the Battle of Britain, documenting an attack of a Spitfire Mk. I of No. 609 Squadron RAF on a formation of Heinkel He 111s.
  
  
• The second image and a story that goes with it are dedicated to Diana Barnato-Walker, one of the most prominent "Spitfire women" of the ATA.

Labels: history, site updates

• Read Spitfire Pilot - Life Prematurely Ended, a story of F/O Russell Lyon.
  
  
• Also, don't forget to check out the latest topics of our discussion forum too - lots of interesting subjects arrived recently!

Labels: history, site updates

• First is the image of V-1 defender - the famous Spitfire Mk. XIV flown by Sqn/Ldr Richard Newbery.
  
  
• The second image comes with a request for more information. A rather ordinarily looking photo from a RAF airbase shows the handover ceremony upon USAAF arrival in Britain. We're looking for the name of the place and maybe some additional information about the circumstances.

Labels: history, site updates

• How about a pair of exclusive cufflinks made from nothing less than the metal from Al Deere's personal Spitfire? Read a preview of Spitfire Cufflinks from TMB Art Metal in the Product News & Reviews section.
  
  
• New in the Art & Memorabilia gallery is ML407 The Grace Spitfire - another airbrushed piece by Herman Veltrop.
  
  
• New pair of images has also been added in the Historic Photographs section. The first one shows a squadron of anonymous Australian Spitfires In their element, with request to all for some additional information.
  


• The second image should come as a surprise. I myself have never expected to see a Spitfire in a German concentration camp! Yet here it is, a crash-landed Mk. V brought by the Germans to the Vught camp in the Netherlands.
  

Labels: history, reviews, warbirds

• New image added in the Historic Photographs section is entitled Backing up the invasion. Enjoy.
  

Labels: history, site updates

Labels: history, site updates

Labels: history

• A full scale Spitfire in your garden? I would like to have one in mine, but is just seems like an overwhelming project. However, Mr. Hamish MacLeod in Moffat, Scotland has just inaugarated a full-size replica of this fighter in the front garden of his home. Inspiring. [BBC News]
  
  More about Mr. Lac Leod's Spitfire can be found in this article in the Scotsman.
  
  
• An airworthy two-seater Spitfire Mk. IX will be sold on acution at the RAF museum in Colindale, England, in April. The aircraft is expected to fetch £1.5 million and is the first of its kind to be on the UK auction block in more than 20 years. [Hendon & Finchley Times]
  
  
• We have also some news in the wake of the economical crisis in the UK. Savekers, a 106-year-old Birmingham family firm that produced components for Spitfire fighters and Lancaster bombers during World War II, collapsed recently. Other former supplier of aluminium plate for the Spitfires, Novelis (formerly Alcan) in South Wales closed their business at the beginning of the month. [Times Online & South Wales Argus]

Labels: history, warbirds

• Tactical reconnaissance with Spitfire Mk. XIV - this image shows Spitfire FR Mk. XIV, serial number RM795 of No. 414 Squadron RCAF at the time of VE-day
  


• The second photo, originating from the time of the Battle of Britain and entitled Under entirely wrong management does not show a Spitfire, yet I felt that it was interesting enough to be included here.
  

Labels: history, site updates

• In History Articles, we have a Pictorial feature on Eagle Day, 1940. The force opposed by RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires during the Battle of Britain is presented in the photographs of official German correspondents. Many wartime photographs were released recently by Bundesarchiv into the Creative Commons domain, and this is a selection of these.
  
  


• Another newly acquired asset is the photograph of No. 613 Squadron Spitfires F Mk. XIV at RAF Ringway in 1947, a new addition in our steadily growing gallery of Historic Photographs. It's good to see a photo of post-war Spitfires, we'd be glad to have more of them, so please keep them comin'!
  

Another editorial news is the arrival of my new drawing software. As mentioned previously, I intend to refresh my long-neglected computer graphics skills and try to produce some colour profiles of the Spitfire on my own, improving on the first effort published here. The package, Corel Draw X4, arrived in my mail last week. After some ten years of inactivity in the graphics field, the big question was which graphics software to select for this project. The choice was very much between only two options, Adobe Illustrator CS4 and Corel, both coupled with rather substantial outlay. I have evaluated voth and although many people say that the professionals prefer Adobe, Corel Draw still feels as familiar and straightforward as the last time when I used it. I hope that the learning curve is not not too steep as to prevent me from producing something useful in the foreseeable future. Wish me luck!

Labels: history, site updates, webmaster

• The first image shows one of the earliest Spitfires Mk. I placed on a compass swing
   
• The subject of our second image is wet winter in Italy, 1945
  
  

Labels: history, site updates

Labels: history, modelling, site updates

Today's additions in the Art & Memorabilia gallery are two Spitfire-related advertisements anno 1941.

• "Rotol constant speed airscrew"
• Rolls-Royce Merlin advertisement, 1941
  

Labels: history, site updates

• A trio of No. 253 Squadron Spitfires in Italy. This is one of these images which offer a wealth of interesting detail; there is also a story behind it.
  
  
• Another Mk. V is this enigma French Spitfire which flew with the Mediterranean Allied Coastal Air Force. Perhaps someone could provide more details about this aircraft.
  
  
• Lastly, another photo from the Italian campaign depicts an airfield of No. 417 Squadron RCAF in Sicily.
  
  

Labels: history, site updates

Today's addition is a pair of new photographs in the Historic Photographs section. Public domain images of the Mk. VII are somewhat rare, and I'm happy to have located these in the archival collections of the NASA.

• Two images show Spitfire Mk. VII EN474 during NACA tests at Langley in July 1944.

Labels: history, site updates

• James Baldwin returns with his newest piece, showing the duel between F/Lt John Dundas (609 Squadron) and the German air ace Major Helmut Wick (JG 2), presented here with a description of the event.

Labels: history, site updates

• A new addition in Camouflage & Markings is Greycap's Personal Spitfire - a portrait of JE-J, probably the most famous Spitfire IX of them all, W/Cdr Johnnie Johnson's personal mount.

Labels: history, reference, site updates

• Removing the Merlin engine, a rather well-known photo showing the removal of a Merlin 45 engine from a Spitfire Mk. V in a workshop at a USAAF Fighter Station.
  
  
• Rolls-Royce Merlin demonstrations were carried by Rolls-Royce throughout the war to educate squadron mechanics. Here is a photograph from one of such courses.
  

Labels: history, site updates

"We are sitting around in the light of the fire and oil lamps - waiting for - I don't know what. It has been chaos. Every street in Old Trafford is shattered. Some houses are gone completely and those that are lucky enough to be standing have no windows or doors. We have no electricity and gas. Fortunately the water is still on, so we can have our cups of tea - boiled on the fire. No wireless to tell us what is happening.

Many a time we thought our house was caving in on us, but we were one of the lucky ones. We were cramped in the cellar for twelve hours, with our limbs trembling with fright.Planes kept roaring overhead continuously with bombs whistling down. My mother, a little deaf, kept saying she could hear the planes, when there were none and all was quiet; when we told her they were overhead, she only thought we were fobbing her off so she wouldn't be frightened. We also heard the Ack Ack of machine guns as our men were getting back at them.

We were told later a plane was brought down on Old Trafford Cricket Ground and one on Exchange Station, with German pilots wandering at large. Next day, time bombs were going off regularly all day and our Christmas turkey was decorated with broken glass.

One day I actually watched a dog fight in the sky - a Spitfire chasing a German bomber. He chased him off over the horizon and he let his bombs drop on the way."

Labels: history

• Operation Starkey, an interesting air-to-air photo taken on 9 September 1943.
  
  
• Borough of Southgate was the Spitfire Mk. VC serial number AA963, funded by the people of the North London suburb of Southgate. Two images of thios aircraft come with a commentary and a request for help to establish its eventual fate.
  

Labels: history, site updates

• A new entry with two new images has been added in Historic Photographs section. It is another American Spitfire, but this time one whose provenance has caused some confusion in various publications. See The markings don't always tell the whole story - BM635.

Unfortunately I have also noticed a technical problem. The possibility to browse by category (meaning browsing by Spitfire mark) has mysteriously disappeared from the Historic Photographs main page. As these links are script-generated, there must be some bug. I will investigate into it and try to fix the it as soon as possible.

Labels: history, site updates, webmaster

• Presentation Spitfires. The popularity of Spitfire Funds resulted in the proliferation of aircraft funded by the public, each adorned with a name chosen by its donor. It is a vast and only recently documented subject, presented here in the article by Ray Sturtivant and Henry Boot, previously published in D.C.O., the magazine of the Spitfire Society and republished here with kind permission of Ray Sturtivant's family.

A sad news which became known to me during my inquiry about this article is that Ray Sturtivant, a prolific aviation historian and book author, passed away on 9 August 2008 at the age of 82. He was perhaps best known for his meticulous research into the RAF and FAA history. Among his books are the milestone The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm, Spitfire International and his last book, Gifts of War: Spitfires and other Presentation Aircraft in Two World Wars, for which the today's article is a prelude. Ray and his work will be greatly missed.

Labels: history, site updates

• Another Spitfire Mk. V presented in the gallery WZ-R, 309th Fighter Squadron.
  
  
• The second photo for tonight is Dowding and "The Few" Battle of Britain pilots, photographed during a reunion in 1942.

Labels: history, site updates

• Sqn/Ldr Donald Osborne Finlay was a pre-war athlete and Olympic medalist who became a Spitfire pilot and a commander of No. 41 Squadron in the early war period.
  
  
• "Observer Corps", one of the many presentation Spitfires, was Finlay's personal mount in Hornchurch in the winter of 1940/1941. This is also the first Mk. II in our gallery.
  
  
• Balkan Air Force shows a row of Spitfires Mk. Vc of No. 352 (Yugoslav) Squadron RAF in their national markings.
  
  
• Lastly, here is a photo of the long-lived BM316, a Spitfire Mk. Vb, an aircraft with a long career and service record with the RAF, RNZAF, RCAF and USAAF.

And, as a final note for today, modellers of all kinds may find it interesting to see just how much can be done with the old trusty 1/72 Airfix Hurricane - in this article by John Wong at Hyperscale.

Labels: history, site updates

• High Flight. How about some poetry at the Spitfire site? I feel that this one fits the subjct perfectly, especially if you consider it's origin. High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
  
  
• Johnnie Johnson's famous Spitfire Mk. IX. It is my great pleasure to introduce a new artist on this site, James Baldwin. James' speciality is watercolor and pencil, and this drawing of the Spitfire IX is a great piece, exhibited here with pride and joy.

Labels: history, site updates

• Not entirely a Spitfire article, but interesting nonetheless. What it was REALLY like for The Dambusters in the most audacious bombing raid of World War II is the subject of the extensive article in Daily Mail. A set of highly personal recollections (most of them quoted from from the book Dambusters: A Landmark Oral History edited by Max Arthur), brings the history of No. 617 Squadron so much closer.
  [Daily Mail]
  
  
• Mighty Spitfire monument gets mixed reaction. Remember the plans for a Spitfire Memorial in Southampton? The recent proposal is a giant Spit in flying attitude beating the Southampton’s waterfront. If this does get the go ahead, I wish they'd better get the wing shape right...
  [Daily Echo]
  
  
• Family unveil roundabout tribute to city Spitfire hero. As mentioned here previously, the new roundabout in Larmor-Plage, Brittany, was recently named after the young Edinburgh Spitfire pilot Russell Lyon. Lyon, flying with No. 234 Squadron, was hit by anti-aircraft fire and killed over Larmor-Plage. His remains were discovered only last year.
  [The Scotsman]
  
  
• And lastly, more about the Canadian Spitfire pilot Charley Fox, who died on October 18 in a car accident in southern Ontario, 88 years old. His story is told in this obituary by CBCNews.
  [cbc.ca]
  

Labels: history

• Spitfire pilot that strafed Rommel dead
  Charley Fox, Canadian Spitfire Pilot who was credited with strafing German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's car at a critical moment during the Allied invasion of Normandy, died in a car accident on October 18 in Ontario, Canada.
  [Winnipeg Sun]
  
  See also the press release from the Canadian Air Force here and Charley's obituary in the National Post.
  
  
• Appeal over lost Eglinton Spitfire
  Aviation archaeologists on a quest to find a Spitfire that crashed near Eglinton, Northern Ireland, during World War II.
  [Derry Today]
  
  
• Another two-seater Spitfire returns to the sky... and it's for sale
  SM520, a Spitfire Mk. IX discovered in a Cape Town scrap yard in the 1970s and brought home to the UK took to the air again on October 17.
  [Aero-News Network]

Labels: history, warbirds

• The book reviewed today is Spitfire: The Illustrated Biography by Jonathan Glancey. I found it to be a great read and, in this new edition, full of exquisitely printed Spitfire photographs.

This review has been posted in the growing Product News & Reviews section.

Labels: history, site updates

Labels: history

• Today's addition is the Australian DVD entitled Spitfire Guardians. This documentary video tells the story of the Australian Spitfire units, pilots and ground crew and their participation in World Ward II. Pilot interviews and unique archive footage should make this disc particularly interesting to anyone interested in Spitfire operations in Australia and New Guinea.
  
  
• A short trailer of this movie has been previously posted online here in the video section.

Labels: history, site updates

• Bill Sanders, a Spitfire pilot of No. 609 Squadron during the Second World War was taken up and away again in order to celebrate his 92nd birthday. [Buckinghamshire Advertiser]

Labels: history

• Added today is the photograph of Free French pilot André Gibert and his Spitfire Mk. V nicknamed Stormy. See the accompanying text for details.
  

Labels: history, site updates

Labels: history

• Chinese businessman pays record price for WW II Spitfire
  A Chinese businessman paid what is believed to be a record USD 1.81 million (1.3 million Euro) for a World War II Spitfire Mk. XVI auctioned in New Zealand. [Zee News]
  
  More about this auction and the Spitfire sale can be read here and here.
  
• Spitfire pilots celebrate Duxford's 90th anniversary
  The Duxford airfield celebrated its 90th anniversary last week. [Telegraph]

Labels: history, warbirds, webmaster

Labels: history

Click to enlarge images

Labels: history

• A new article in History Articles is dedicated to Uncle Sam's Spitfires - Tom Cleaver's summary of the Spitfire's career in the USAAF service. Although the aircraft was never given a US designation, the USAAF used over 600 Spitfires during the war and it had a long and succesful service record with 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups.

Labels: history, site updates

• Among the History Articles, new additons are the two concluding parts of 1941: The Difficult Year - Day Air Operations by Fighter Command, November 1940 - December 1941, an account by Sholto Douglas, C-in-C of Fighter Command in the described period.
  
  
• New pair of models has been added in the Modelling section; both represent the Spitfire Prototype K5054, albeit in two different finishes. By Mark Davies.
  

Labels: history, modelling, site updates

• Spitfire wings its way to county - the Welsh Pembrokeshire Aviation Foundation Trust will tour a fuselage of their newly-acquired Spitfire Mk. VIII JG668 around the country in the hope to raise the funds needed to restore the complete aircraft. [Western Telegraph]
  
  
• Another Spitfire touring the roads in the UK this season will be a replica towed by a Land Rover, wings detached but otherwise transferred on ordinary roads. [The Northern Echo]
  
  
• Diana Barnato Walker, acclaimed British pilot, died at 90. She started her aviation career as one of the ATA "Spitfire Women" and later become the first British female pilot to fly at supersonic speed. [New York Times]. Here's also Diana's obituary in Times Online.
  
  
• Another wartime fighter pilot, Wing Commander Paddy Barthropp, DFC, AFC, passed away on April 16, 2008, aged 87. Barthropp happened to be one of those unfortunate victims of the Fw 190 suprtiority over the Channel in 1942. Shot down over St Omer, he spent the rest of the war as POW. There, in Oflag XXIB, he escaped, but was caught and put back in the camp. After the liberation, he returned to active service with the RAF, flyig the Meteors and advancing to the rank of Wing Commander. [Times Online]
  
  
• Former Australian Spitfire pilot Ted Sly has returned to flying at the age of 90 [Ballina Shire Advocate]
  
  
• The campaign to raise a Spitfire moemorial in Southampton has now been backed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown [Daily Echo]
  

Labels: history, warbirds

• A new addition in History Articles is part 3 of AVM Sholto Douglas' report 1941: The Difficult Year. This part covers the first offensive operations (Rhubarbs and Circuses) of the RAF after the Battle of Britain.
  
  
• A new image has also been added in the Historic Photographs section. Clipped, cropped, clapped - YO-Q offers a picture and a story about an interesting Spitfire LF Mk. Vb.
  

Labels: history, site updates

• In many respects, 1941 was one of Fighter Command's most difficult years. Delpeted during the Battle of Britain and still the sole line of Britain's defence, the condition of RAF's fighter arm remained rather fragile throughout the year. Yet the command was ordered on the offensive with the limited means there were at hand.
  
  I'm pleased to introduce 1941: The Difficult Year, a report written by AVM Sholto Douglas, the Commander-in-Chief of the Fighter Command during that period, and one of the orchestrators of the Circus offensive. This detailed account brings to light the many factors governing the conduct and success of operations at the time.
  
  Today we're posting the first two parts of this feature, with parts 3..5 to follow soon.
  

Labels: history, site updates

• The Variants and Technology section was enhanced with two important reference features. A two-part Concise Guide To Spitfire Wing Types provides an overview of of the basic wing types of the Spitfire and the differences between them. Inherently related to Spitfire wing design is also The Hispano Cannon, the weapon which gave the aircraft the punch and a characteristic element of its silhouette.
  
  
• Four new colour profiles added during the month in Camouflage & Markings were NH550, in Royal Norwegian Service accompanied by another Norwegian Reconnaissance Spitfire, EP706 - The Malta Defender Spitfire Mk. Vc and "Bogle" Bodie and his Spitfire Mk. I, X4321.
  
  This adds up to six new reference articles, a good record indeed, with no less than three additional features currently waiting to be published.
  
  
• The pace in the History Articles section was rather more leisurely, with two articles added. Independent Air Force - Tracing the Origins of the RAF, an essay by Brett Holman and A Lifetime of Aviation, another essay by Martin Waligorski.
  
  This month I will be adding much more in this section, with five-part coverage of the 1941 Circus offensive as a main theme.
  
  
• Images added to the Historic Photographs section were: a portrait of Sqn/Ldr Jiří Maňák,
  photos of RAB Spitfire of W/Cdr Berg, UZ-Z of No. 306 Squadron, Northolt, Spitfire Mk. VII in the United States, launch of Operation Bowery and K5054 prototype prior to her maiden flight.
  


• The Video Section grew with just about as many videos, including the footage of Mark Hanna leading Spitfire formation display, Spitfire in IL2, Best of Chino's contraprop Spitfire Mk. XIX and Public debut of Seafire Mk. XVII SX336.
  
  
• The new Gallery Section, established at the beginning of the month, grew up rapidly and is already offering several hundred quality images. Collections added this month were: Spitfire Models by Tim Prosser, images from Old Warden 2007, The Joy of Flight Testing the Spitfire Mk. V BL628, Seafire Mk.XVII SX336, 90th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force, April 2008 celebration flypast over London, BBMF 50th Anniversary, 2007 and finally Ronnie Olsthoorn Photo Gallery with many beautiful Spitfire images.
  
  I'm happy that the technology behind the galleries worked out. Image collections I have been receiving from our visitors since last autumn can now finally be posted online and I will continue to do so during the months to come.
  
  
• Modellers have proven to be eager and knowledgeable supporters of this site. Their interest was demonstrated last month through a collection of 1/72 Spitfire Models by Tim Prosser , Spitfire in Saigon, a tribute to the Memory of A/C Paul Webb, Tamiya Spitfire Mk. V backdated to Mk. Ib, Kenley Wings beer-carrying Spitfire and another Malta Spitfire Mk. V.
  


• Another group which keeps giving this site a "push" are aviation artists; many new great pieces can be enjoyed in the Art & Memorabilia gallery and Pavel Rampír has been spoiling us with an entire series of drawings. Enjoy A portrait of Clive Caldwell, Spitfire Mk. VIII in Italy, "The Last", Chasing the V-1, "The CO's Query", Typhoon trouble, Beware of the low-flying Mosquitos, "Se va la Primera". For collectors, there was also a set of RAF 90th Anniversary poststamps.
  

Summarizing, it is apparent that April was one of the most fruitful months on the Spitfire Site so far. It is fantastic, and showed up well through the editorial workload - I had a hard time coping with all the material I've been receiving. I'd like to direct a warm thank you to everyone who contributed their work and material to make it happen. My apologies to those few who are still waiting to get their contributions published - none has been forgotten and they will appear online as soon as I can possibly manage.

The RAF Anniversary Festival will continue for some time to come, so please keep the articles and photos coming.

In the meantime, I'm into some serious programming trying to establish a discussion forum for all of us Spitfire buffs. I'll keep you posted.

Labels: history, modelling, reference, site updates, videos, warbirds, webmaster

Many thanks to all the contributors and please keep them comin'!

• In Historic Photographs, we celebrate two foreign personalities who served with the RAF, Czech Sqn/Ldr Jiří Maňák and Norwegian Rolf Arne Berg.
  
  
• Another great Spitfire pilot is commemorated in the Art & Memorabilia gallery through a portrait of Clive Caldwell, one more great submission by Pavel Rampír.
  


• In Scale Modelling, we have a photo gallery of Spitfire Models by Tim Prosser, now complete with sixty-five(!) 1/72 Spitfire and Seafire models presented in realistic settings and lifelike photography.
  
  
• Other models presented today are Spitfire in Saigon by Brian Ballew and a personal tribute to the memory of A/C Paul Webb by Chris Doherty.
  
  
• In Photo Galleries, there is another set of images from Old Warden 2007 air display season. Photography by Rover75.
  


• Looking into the Event Calendar clearly shows that the airshow season begins now, with many interesting events in the UK and France scheduled for May.

In all, this update includes 75 web pages, which together with the recent update of the IPMS Stockholm Magazine (also posted yesterday) is clearly a personal record. I hope that you will enjoy the results!

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, warbirds

• Army bomb experts were called out after a "Second World War Spitfire mortar shell" was found at a household tip in Staffordshire. Unfortunately, the news doesn't say more exactly what piece of ammunition has been found, or how its connection with the Spitfire is known. But then perhaps it's too much of a requirement. [The Press Association]
  
  
• Bentley Priory plans submitted - the plans to turn the 18th Century RAF Bentley Priory, the former Fighter Command headquarters, to residential facility, have been submitted by the developers. [Harrow Times].
  
  See also Plans revealed for historic wartime site [Property News] and Plans for residential redevelopment of Battle of Britain base ... [Property Week News]
  
  
• Canadian Spitfire pilot Ian Maclennan, DFM makes a moving return to former battleground - Malta. [Canada NewsWire]
  
  
• Scottish Spitfire pilot Russell Lyon killed in France during World War II, whose body was recently found, is to be honoured with a memorial in Larmor-Plage, Brittany. [Glasgow Daily Record]
  Another article about this subject can be found here. [Evening News]

Labels: history

• New in Historic Photographs section is the nice photo of Spitfire Mk. IX, UZ-Z of No. 306 Squadron phtotographed in Northolt.
  
  
• Another photograph today shows Spitfire Mk. VII in the United States. This aircraft should be well known to those who visited mithsoniat Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Labels: history, site updates

• The launch of Operation Bowery
  
  
• K5054 prototype prior to maiden flight
  

Also, if you enjoy plastic models, here's one surfing tip not to be missed. Spitfire is the current theme on one of Hyperscale's Theme Pics forum. Visitors of that prolific modelling site have been invited to post photos of their Spitfire models, and there is plenty of them to see!

Labels: history, modelling, site updates

• Preparing yesterday's addition in the Variants & Technology section about the Spitfire wing types, I noticed that I could fairly easily add another short pictorial about the Spitfire's main armament, the Hispano Cannon - so I here it is.
  
  
• Also, I have added another excellent profile artwork of Olve Dybvig, showing NH550 in Royal Norwegian Service. Post-war Norwegian fighter units retained living connection with their wartime history and the RAF.

I'm happy to see that contributions from the readers keep flowing in, but we'd like to see even more, so don't hesitate!

Labels: history, reference, site updates

• The story of Norwegian Reconnaissance Spitfires is described and exemplified by the colour artwork kindly submitted by Olve Dybvig.

Labels: history, reference, site updates

What is the RAF 90th Anniversary Festival?

Simply speaking, we're aimig at creating a broad collection of articles, memories, photographs, documents, drawings, art and other material connected to the Royal Air Force and its long history. It is our hope that it can be developed by collective voluntary effort, whereupon visitors, friendly bloggers and webmasters submit any suitable material and the Spitfire Site acts as host, putting it all together.

The history of the Royal Air Force suggests different things to different people, so this festival aims to be as inclusive as possible. This means that we'll accept anything fitting into its main subject, not only the Spitfire, Fighter Command or World War II.

The festival means that material can be submitted by anyone - meaning you, the readers.

What kind of submissions are we looking for?
- Articles, essays or other forms of writing
- Photographs, individual or collections
- Personal recollections or experiences of your relatives / friends
- Documents, letters etc.
- Drawings, artwork
- Photos of collectibles
- Scale models
- Book & movie reviews

If your material has already been published elsewhere on the web, don't worry. We will still gladly post it here to make the collection available in one place. Should you prefer to link to your original page or site, we can do that, too. Naturally, all sources will be properly credited.

It’s a good way of creating a sense of community around RAF history, cross-promoting good resources on the web and offering future readers the best material on this worthy topic.

The festival is planned to last until May or June 2008, depending on the scale of public response.

Please help us to spread the news about RAF 90th Anniversary Festival on your favourite discussion forums, blogs and sites around the web. It will help us greatly to succeed with our aim. Thank you!

All submissions should be directed to

• In history articles, Brett Holman traces the origins of the birth of RAF as the Independent Air Force.
  
  
• Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding is the subject of our second article today. A Lifetime of Aviation describes the very beginnings of his aviation career and reflects upon the development witnessed by Dowding during his military career. By Martin Waligorski.
  
  
• In Photo Galleries you can find a collection of stunning photographs from the BBMF 50th Anniversary air display at Duxford, 5 May 2007. By Rover75.
  
  
• Spitfire images by Ronnie Olsthoorn is our second gallery entry in this update, with many stunning images.

Enjoy.

Labels: history, site updates, webmaster

It's the day after RAF's big anniversary celebration, and press reports and interviews commemorating the event keep pouring in.

• 'We were the blue-eyed boys' - Interview with Frank Blinkhorn, WWII Spitfire pilot [BBC News]
  
  
• Interview with Henry Allingham, 111-years old and the only surviving member of the RAF from its first day on April 1, 1918 [The Sun]
  
  
• Interview with Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, head of the RAF [BBC News]
  
  
• Reports of local celebrations:
• York [York Press]
• Cambridge [Cambridge News]
  
  
• Also, The Royal Air Force has issued a commemorative diamante-encrusted... bikini swimwear for the occasion. What they were thinking is not entirely clear to the humble writer of these words, but I guess it's as good a collectible as anything else... [The Press Association]
  
  
• Not all news were joyful this week. By rather unhappy coincidence, a cash plea for a memorial to the 55,500 RAF bomber crew killed in the Second World War has been recently rejected by the Government [people.co.uk]

Labels: history

Click to enlarge images
[Photo: Ian Visits]

Today is a special day. Royal Air Force celebrates its 90th Anniversary.

The main event of the day occurred exactly at 1 o'clock pm as nine Red Arrow Hawks and four Typhoons flew in formation along the Thames through London. It was spectated by a large crowd gathered along the river and on London's bridges as well as the offical party gathered at the MOD building at the Embankment.

• To celebrate this occasion, I decided to launch today a long-awaited section on this site, Photo Galleries. Fittingly, the first entry in this chapter is the photo gallery showing the anniversary flypast. The many great images contained in this collection are courtesy of many fantastic people at Flickr who shared their photos from this day. (By the way, fans of vintage aircraft and the Spitfire should be delighted by the two other galleries which offer some truly beautiful photos from other airshow displays, so don't forget to check out the entire section.)
  
  
• There is also a video clip, albeit I will have to send you over to the BBC site to view it. Watch the BBC reporter flying onboard one of Red Arrows' Hawks

[Photo: John Linwood]

Articles about this event appear in all major newspapers, read about it in Daily Mail or BBC.

If you prefer information from official sources, there is a press release from 10 Downing Street, or this news article at the MOD site. A nice touch at the Royal Air Force site is the timeline of its 90 years-long history.

Official celebrations took place at many RAF stations around the conutry, and Red Arrows were very busy putting up additional flybys - over the parade at RAF Halton on their way to London and at RAF Coningsby on the return route. There were also congratulations from the Prime Minister and a huge seven-stone cake adorned with pictures of aircraft. Also, as I write these words, guests are gathering for a dinner reception at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon.

Happy Birthday RAF.

[Photo: aburt]

Labels: history

• In the Articles section, a report about the most recent Spitfire excavation undertaken this month in County Durham in North-East England. Spitfire Emerges From its Peat Bog Grave - About Spitfire Mk. II P8563. Written by Elfrieda Waren (welcome onborad, Elfrieda!).
  


• The Historic Photographs section has been enhanced with a set of photographs entitled Homecoming, showing the arrival of No. 312 (Czechosolovak) Squadron in Czechoslovakia after VE-day.

Labels: history, site updates

• First of all, there is a new section - Event Calendar. My intention is to share and spread information about the events interesting for a Spitfire enthusiast: airshows, exhibitions, modelling contests, meetings, museum events. To start with, I have assembled a list of this year's airshows which offer a chance to see a Spitfire in the air, in UK and worldwide.
  
  If you want any other event to be included, do not hesitate to email me, stating the name, time, location and short description of the event and I will add it to the calendar.
  
  
• Today there are also three new additions in our Art & Memorabilia gallery. Spitfire artwork of Pavel Rampir, "Spitfires over Darwin" by Noel Barnes and "Eagles Above Dieppe" by Vladimir Urbanek. Pavel Rampir is a debuting contributor to this site and we're glad to have him onboard.
  
  
• I have also reviewed the previous article Jungle Survivor - A Spitfire Pilot's Escape from Japanese-Occupied Borneo, adding new quotes and some additional clarifications in the initial part of the text. If you haven't read this feature before, now is the perfect time to do it.
  

Labels: history, site updates

• I'm glad to be able to deliver the second rather sizable addition for this week. Considering the subject of our site, it was inevitable that we would include a story about Reginald J. Mitchell, the engineering genius behind the Spitfire. Personally I'm not very fond of formal "encyclopedia-style" biographies, so I'm particularly glad to present John Dell's essay which takes on a rather personal view of Mitchell's life and achievements. Enjoy his two-part story Mr. Mitchell, Designer of the Spitfire - In Memory of a Brilliant Mind in the Articles section
  
  
• In Modelling, we have a beautiful 1/32 Spitfire Mk.II "Borough of Lambeth" modelled by Hans-Peter Tschanz from Switzerland.

Another new occurrence on the site, introduced yesterday, are commercial ads. Why ads? Well, it is my long-term objective to support - wholly or partially - the cost of the site's operation with ads, and today I'm taking the first step in this direction. I'm not hoping to get a profit - considering the amount of man-hours I'm currently putting into it - but perhaps be able to expand the site with photo galleries, forum and other interactive features, many of which require more sophisticated hosting, more bandwidth or additional software. Time permitting, there's so much more I would like to add.

In this initial period, I will be trying Google textual ads to see how they will perform. Obviously I would like the ads to be relevant to the interests of our visitors. With the Google system, the ads are supposed to be matched automatically with the subject of each page. I understand that it may take one or two weeks for the Google system to "learn" which ads are the right ones, so I'm eager to see how good the results will be.

I hope you will find the ads a meaningful addition to the Spitfire Site.

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, webmaster

• A new image has been added in Historic Photographs section. This is one of the series showing early Spitfires of No. 611 Squadron at Biggin Hill in December 1942.
  


• New video in the Video Section is the computer animation showing the Spitfire Mk. I cockpit. The level of detail and accuracy in this one is such as to be sufficient to serve as modellers' reference.
  

I have also started a new section of the site, Variants & Technology. Articles in this category will be devoted to the variants of the Spitfire, it's construction and design. I am currently working on preparing the first features and will announce them as soon as they're ready.

Labels: history, site updates, videos

• A gala performance is to be staged later this year in order to raise funds to pay for the upkeep of the Battle of Britain memorial on the top of the cliffs at Capel le Ferne. The Battle of Britain Memorial concert will take place in London Palladium on September 7th, 68 years to the day after the Luftwaffe launched its first mass attack on London.
  
  Battle of Britain Memorial concert [kentnews.co.uk]
  
  
• A simple stone memorial has been unveiled in a field in Kent to mark the place where a Battle of Britain New Zealand Spitfire pilot Flt Ltn Jimmy Paterson crashed in 1940.
  
  Battle of Britain pilot honoured [BBC News]
  
  
• Ex-ATA women comment on the recently received special merit award
  
  Spitfire heroine's joy over medal [BBC News]
  Recognition for Spitfire heroines [The Cornishman]
  Honour for WWII Spitfire pilots [BBC News]
  
  
• An interesting bureaucratic incident suggests pending US embargo on Spitfire exports :)
  
  Spitfire downed [New Zealand Herald]
  
  
• An interesting replica Spitfire built by members of the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion has found a new home at RAF Leeming.
  
  Replica of flying legend finds a home with RAF squadron [Northallerton Times]
  
  
• Another interesting Spitfire restoration project in New Zealand is Brendon Deere's Spitfire ZK-SPT/PV270, here in the report of TV3:
  
  Pilot's nephew works to restore Spitfire [TV3 News]
  
  

Labels: history, warbirds

• Jean-Marc Berthe presents colour views of arguably the most important Spitfire of them all - the K5054 prototype.
  
  

On the subject of the Spitfire prototype, a site well worth visiting is www.k5054.com. As name implies, this is site devoted entirely to the Type 300 Prototype K5054, and the initial Spitfire production that followed. Well worth your surfing time.

I'll be away travelling next week and probably away from this blog. I'm looking forward to adding more features when I'm back, maybe including that vast library of walkaround photos that are waiting in my editorial pipeline. See you then.

Labels: history, site updates

• The project to build a Spitfire Memorial in Southampton seems to be off to a start. Designers are to be approached to submit their proposals for the 50 metres (165 ft) landmark monument that that will be visible from the road, rail and air.
  
  Time to find design for a Spitfire memorial [Hampshire News]
  
  
• A new Spitfire wreck seems to have been unveiled in Bosnia.
  
  Bosnian villager reveals location of Spitfire shot down in Second World War [Times Online]
  Bosnian villager ‘finds’ crashed WWII Spitfire [Khaleej Times]

Labels: history

• A new two-part article in the History section is entitled Jungle Survivor - A Spitfire Pilot's Escape from Japanese-Occupied Borneo. The article tells the story of F/O Fred Inger, pilot of No. 457 "Grey Nurse" Squadron RAAF, who had to bail out over Borneo and managed to escape back to his unit.
  
  
• A review of Spitfire-related aviation art in the Art & Memorabilia gallery continues. Two new paintings added today are Stanislav Fejfar's Spitfire Mk. VB and Sqn/Ldr McKay's Spitfire Mk. VIII - by Vladimir Urbanek and Noel Barnes respectively.
  
  
• Readers' comments pour now at a steady pace in the Historic Photographs section. Prompted by one of these posts, I have further researched and revised the text accompanying the image of Enigma Bare-metal Spitfire, and I think I'm closer to the definitive description of this aricraft.

Labels: history, site updates

• A new article in the History section is How Blitzkrieg Became the Blitz. Perhaps not strictly about Fighter Command ot the Spitfire, i feel that this essay by Brett Holman is relevant to the overall subject of this site.
  


• In Videos, we have two new clips provided by Stewart Hecht, showing two Canada-based Spitfires filmed during the 2007 Geneseo Air Show.
  

Labels: history, site updates, warbirds

Labels: history

• Call for forgotten women Spitfire pilots to be honoured [ic Wales]
  The veteran women of the ATA may not have taken part in the Battle of Britain, but they certainly deserve recognition. The survivors of a group of women who flew Spitfires (why only Spitfires? - my note) in non-combat roles during the Second World War are expected to be honoured with a special badge.
  
  Additonal reading on this issue:
  Women Spitfires (pilots that is) [WeeksMD]
  Special badge for Spitfire girls [Sepoy Agent blog]
  
  
• Bid to demolish and rebuild museum [Daily Echo]
  Another piece of aviation heritage may yield room to a housing project. Southapmton's Solent Sky Museum could be knocked down and rebuilt as part of an apartment complex in a bid to secure its future.
  

Labels: history

Labels: history

• In Historic Photographs, we have a pair of photographs showing an interesting aerobatics display Spitfire from Czechoslovakia. Readers will note that we're looking for more specific information about this aircraft and its use.
  


• Nostalgia attack awaits in the Video Section - how about watching Spitfires flying to the music of Vera Lynn's The White Cliffs of Dover? Guaranteed to bring the mood of the past years.
  


• New contributions in the Art & Memorabilia gallery have been kindly provided by aviation artists Troy White and Vladimir Urbanek. There are six works in all:
• Skalski's Circus
• "Tiger's Strike"
• "Eagles"
• "Entrevero Total"
• "One Hawk Breaks Up Many Crows"
• "Moesi Illir"
  
  
• Last but not least, we have two new models on display in Scale Modelling section. Both are Tamiya kits: Spitfire PR Mk. IF conversion by Fabrice Fanton and Yellow Nose QV-K modelled by Charlie Whall.

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, warbirds

I have just received information through a friend that RAF Squadron Leader Cyril "Bam" Bamberger passed away on 03.00 Sunday morning.

Bamberger was one of the surviving members of "The Few", having flown Spitfires with No. 610 Squadron in the Battle of Britain. During the Battle he scored five victories, achieving the ace status.

In November 1940, Bamberger volunteered for Malta, flying a Hurricane off HMS Argus to the island on 17th November. Serving with No. 261 Squadron, he shot down two Junkers Ju 87 in successive days over Grand Harbour in January 1941. He was subsequently posted to No. 185 Squadron and returned to England in May of that year.

In 1942, Bam joined No. 93 Squadron and followed with that unit to Tunisia. He returned to Malta in 1943 and shot down another Ju 87 on 13 July over Sicily. In August, No. 243 Squadron moved to Sicily.

On 28 september 1943, Cyril Bamberger was awarded the DFC. On 16 October he claimed a Bf 109, another on 25 May 1944 and a Macchi Mc 202 damaged on 15 June.

In July 1944 Bamberger returned to the UK. In November that year he was awarded the bar to his DFC. Released from the RAF in 1946, he was recalled during the Korean crisis. He finally retired from the RAF in 1959.

During his retirement Bam became known as a great friend to many and remained active in the aviation circles to his last days, most recently with the Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust (BPBBT). He was 88 years old.

Labels: history

A sad controversy is developing around the fate of RAF Bentley Priory near Stanmore in northern London. The grandiose and historically significant estate, owned by the RAF since 1926 and most remembered as Air Chief Marshal Dowding's Command Headquarters during the Battle of Britain, has been sold. The buyer is the development company VSM Estates which has the intention of converting the mansion to luxury apartments. Further residential buildings are planned in its gardens.

RAF Bentley Priory Officers' Mess [Photo Gme7]

Formal closing ceremony of RAF Bentley Priory, 19 July 2007 [Photo David Whiting]

Labels: history

• A new image in Historic Photographs section with another great example of hand-painted D-Day stripes is the one showing Spitfire spotters of the US Navy.
  


• I have also added an article by STeven D. Hill telling the history of VCS-7, the only US Navy unit operating Spitfires during the war. Entitled Spitfires of the US Navy, it is available in Articles.
  

Labels: history, site updates

• In Camouflage & Markings, we have a portrait of one of the most colourful Spitfires to be flown in the ETO after D-Day - personal aircraft of Norwegian W/Cdr Rolf Arne Berg.
  


• Today we have also have an addition in Art & Memorabilia gallery. Its a sculpture to be installed at Rolls-Royce factory in Bristol, symbolising both the Merlin and the Spitfire.

The latter sculpture together with other recent works of the same artist can also be seen at Messum’s Fine Art gallery, London, starting on Wednesday 6th February. The exhibition will last until 1st March.

Labels: history, site updates

Labels: history

• I’ve got propeller off Spitfire that crashed in park
  The latest Spitfire wreck excavation in Merseyside Park, Liverpool, (see here for details) finds a rather unexpected conclusion - its (?) propeller being found in an attic. [Liverpool Echo]
  
  
• It is widely known that new Spitfire restorations to airworthiness are being undertaken with ever-smaller pieces of original airframes as a basis. If one is to believe the following articles, it could be something of a record in this area - a full Spitfire restoration started from a... single rivet - but then only if you ignore the fact that it was augmented by an incomplete fuselage of Spitfire RR232... Even so, it's an amazing effort, performed by devotion and perseverance of Mr Martin Phillips from Devon.
  
  
• Scrambled Spitfire gets closer to take-off [Telegraph]
  
• Global hunt to rebuild Spitfire [BBC News]
  
• Spitfire project is a labour of love [The Cornishman]
  


• A special event entitled A Celebration of Collections marked the official launched of Corgi die-cast model Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Collection issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Flight. Fittingly, the ceremony took place at BBMF Visitors Centre at RAF Coningsby.
  
  
• A look under the skin of Memorial Flight [Lincolnshire Echo]
  
• Battle of Britain models launched [Horncastle Today]

Labels: history, warbirds, webmaster

Labels: history

• Today I have received wonderful samples of aviation art from award-winning aviation artist Steve Heyen from Australia. Two of Steve's paintings have been posted in the Art & Memorabilia gallery - "A Canadian in Italy" and "Afternoon Sweep".
  

Labels: history

Recently I snapped an interesting reading tip at the discussion forum of BoBHS (Battle of Britain Historical Society) about the new online magazine devoted to aviation history which had its premiere last week: Fighting High - Winning the Air Battle 1939-1945.

Fighting High is the initiative of Steve Darlow, military aviation historian and book author. The first issue contains an article about 609 Squadron pilot Gordon Mitchell together with other World War II recollections - Beaufighters in the Mediterranean and an interesting combat incident between German Fw 190 and RAF Spitfire over Sicily.

There are also book reviews, including that of the newly issued Bader's Last Fight.

The magazine is available for download as PDF via the following link:

http://www.stevedarlow.co.uk/fightinghigh.htm

You will undoubtedly notice that issue one is very nicely laid out. It looks good on screen, but is actually a real pleasure to read in high-quality color print. It includes photographs and maps just as a paper magazine would do. Being in PDF format, it is also easy to save for future reference.

Fighting High is free to download, although the editor hopes for voluntary contributions to help in the development of the e-zine. No information is given about how often the magazine will appear.

Looking good so far and warmly recommended.

Labels: history

• A new image in the Historic Photographs section showing a miscellany of RAAF Spitfire paint schemes. I haven't seen this one before and I'm sure you will also find it interesting. Any further contributions to the analysis of the image are welcome.
  
  
• The Camouflage and Markings section has proved popular with our visitors. I'm glad to say that we have received precious new contributions in this area. First to go are beautifully drawn profiles of Late-War Spitfires of No. 127 Squadron RAF presented by Andy Ingham.
  

Enjoy!

Labels: history

• Another sad death notice came from New Zealand on December 22th. Mick Shand, Spitfire pilot and one of the surviving participants of the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III, died at his home farm in Wairarapa, New Zealand at the age of 92.
  
  Mick debuted during the Battle of Britain with Alan Deere's No. 54 Squadron at Hornchurch, but was shot down and wounded during his second mission. He returned to action in 1941 with No. 485 Squadron, completing over 60 missions over the continent. He was shot down again on November 28, 1942 over the island of Noord-Beveland, during a rhubarb over the Oosterschelde area in the Netherlands. As a POW, Shand was imprisoned in the infamous Stalag Luft III near Sagan in Germany.
  
  Shand took part in the famous Great Escape of 24th March 1944 (not 1943 as stated by most of the press articles below!) when 76 RAF officers escaped to freedom through a 104-metre long tunnel. Like most of the escapers, he was recaptured, but miraculously wasn't among the 50 who were subsequently executed by the Gestapo.
  
  
  • Great Escape pilot dies aged 92 [New Zealand Herald]
  
  
  • The last of New Zealand's Great Escapers [Dominion Post]
  
  
  • Flight Lieutenant Mick Shand [Daily Telegraph]
  
  
  • Flight Lieutenant Michael Shand obituary [The Times]
  
  
  
• New Spitfire proposal to commemorate designer and machine
  The campaign for of raising a Spitfire memorial in Southampton seems to get elevated to new heights by a proposal presented recently by Mr. Colin Lee. Rather than simply a Spitfire replica, Mr. Lee proposes a tall monument at the city waterfront, showing RJ Mitchell proudly gazing skywards as his most decorated fighter plane soars high overhead. [Hampshire News]
  

Labels: history

• A new image has been added in Historic Photographs section. This is the previously shown photo of Spitfires at B.88 Heesch, but this time it is accompanied by additional information provided by Joop Thuring.
  


• Today's addition in our Art & Memorabilia gallery shows an interesting connection between the Spitfire and the American automotive industry, and mind you, it's not about Packard Merlin production.
  

Labels: history, site updates

• In the Historic Photographs section, No. 127 Squadron historian Mr. Andy Ingham revisits the Grimbergen mud theme, with another interesting story accompanying the image. When I started this section, I wanted every picture to tell a story, but the quality of the research accompanying our recent contributions surpassed my initial expectations by a wide margin. Very warmly recommended. Keep 'em coming.
  


• In Scale Modelling section, there is also something beyond the ordinary. Jim Kiker provides a two-part tutorial to Modelling Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk. XIX - The Complete Conversion Guide for 1/48 Scale. A very well-researched conversion illustrated with many in-progress images.
  


• Today I have also made an adjustment to the previously published guide to RAF Airfields in Mainland Europe, 1944-45. The interactive listings which allow for virtual visits to airfield locations using Google Earth have been enhanced so that each list of airfields can be opened and marked in Google Earth all at once. Rather than having to click on every geolocation link individually, visitors can now open the entire set of data and interact with it as a whole directly in the target application.

If you haven't installed Google Earth, I suggest you give it a try; it is free, detailed and the experience of virtual sightseeing around the globe is rather incredible. Whenever time allows, I intend to use it to illustrate the geography of historical events.

Labels: history, modelling, site updates

• The fourth installment of the series Battle of Britain in the Words of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding tells the story about difficulties of defence against the night Blitz.
  
  
• A new contribution from Pat Murphy in the Historic Photographs section is the amazing story of twin brothers flying the Spitfire - read the incredible Spitfire twins. Two pictures are included.
  


• In modelling, Magnus Fridsell presents his neatly finished Fujimi Spitfire LF Mk. XIV in 1/72 Scale.
  

Labels: history, modelling, site updates

The review of last week's press brought the following articles.

• Veteran pilot feared dead in lake crash
  Sad news struck in Australia on Friday. 75-year-old veteran aviator Col Pay, a legendary crop-dusting pilot and once the owner of the only flying Spitfire in Australia (as well as a Mustang, Tiger Moth and a Kittyhawk) died in an airplane crash in New South Wales [The Age]
• Lake searched for crashed pilot [The Herald]
• Plane crash inquiry begins [The Herald]
  
  
• Pride of place for Spitfire recovered from park
  The previously excavated remains of a Spitfire recovered from Merseyside park, Liverpool, are now on public display [Liverpool Daily Post]
  
  
• The Guinea Pig Club
  During the second world war, airmen with terrible burn injuries in the care of pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe formed an exclusive drinking club. Photographer Lucinda Marland meets the men today in this photo feature [Guardian Unlimited]
  

Labels: history, warbirds

• A new image in the Historic Photographs section. This one is showing Spitfire Mk. V of No. 453 Squadron RAAF with lots of detail useful also for modellers.
  


• New video has been added in the Video Section. This one, for a change, is a genuinely old RAF instructional film providing an overview of daily maintenance duties on Spitfire Mk. I.
  


• Last but not least, today's addition in the History section is the first installment of the new reference feature, RAF Airfields in Mainland Europe, 1944-45. Added today is the introductory part and two portions of the airfield listing which cover 2nd TAF operations in France.
  

The last article is somewhat special in that it offers interactive features. Based on the available data, I have included geolocation links for each airfield. If you have Google Earth on your computer (or a comparable geography browser), this feature will give you an opportunity for virtual sightseeing of airfield locations. I can heartily recommend spending a few moments doing this - it's an educational experience. Indeed, many of the airfields and installation still exist today, but spotting the traces of war in satellite images makes for an interesting challenge. Give it a try. If you don't have Google Earth, you can download it for free here.

Labels: history, site updates, videos

• Fabrice Fanton from France debuts today on the Spitfire Site with an excellent Spitfire F Mk. 21 in 1/48 Scale. This model is a conversion involving the use of three separate kits.
  


• We have also one new image in the Historic Photographs section. This one is our 50th addition to the gallery since its start on 24 September.
  

Labels: history, modelling, site updates

British military airfields in mainland Europe, 1944-1945
Click on the image to enlarge

Labels: history, webmaster

• Part 3 of our ongoing series Battle of Britain in the Words of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding. This feature covers Dowding's discussion of aircraft and tactics on both sides of the conflict. There will be two more parts to this series.
  
  
• A new pair of images in the Historic Photographs section. Painting D-Day stripes is a must-have reference to modellers, especially the high-resolution copy. There is also another photo of Canadian Seafires Mk. XV with that striking metal-and-red spinners.
  

Lastly, an appeal to everyone for a little help with aircraft identification on the previously posted post-war photo of No. 414 Squadron RCAF Spitfire FR Mk. XIVe over Germany (shown below). According to the research made by the owner of the photograph, the depicted aircraft should be RM927. However, recent comment added to this post by a reader suggests something different. Please let me know if you have any additional information that could help us resolve this ambiguity. Thank you.

Labels: history, site updates

• The Historic Photographs section has been enriched with two new mini-articles, each featuring multiple images. Among these are two post-war photos of Air Chief-Marshal Hugh Dowding, from the collection of his family, which were kindly offered to this site by Mr. David Whiting, stepson of Lord Dowding.
  
  
• Three new videos have been added in the Video Section, including Cockpit camera view following a Spitfire's display routine, a lovely Kent Spitfire display at Biggin Hill 2007 and an overview of Canadian Comox Air Force Museum Y2K Spitfire Restoration Project.
  

Labels: history, site updates, videos, warbirds

Labels: history

• Spitfire fighter ace didn't like to talk about the war
  An article in memory of Dal Russel, one of the distinguished Canadian Second World War fighter pilots. Russel passed away last week at the age of 90. [Montreal Gazette]
  
  
• Spitfire monument to be Angel of the South?
  The campaign to raise a Spitfire memorial in Southampton, UK, continues. A recent proposal includes a 100-feet "Spitfire of the South" monument of a silver Spitfire standing upright on its tail. [Basingstoke Gazette]
  
  
• Spitfire pilot's grave located
  A grave of missing WW2 Spitfire pilot, Russell Lyon of Edinburgh, has been identified in France. [The Press Association]
  
  
• Meet the pup who's ready for a dogfight
  A living proof of how much the Spitfire is still being present in the public mind. 'Nuff said. [Metro]
  
  
• Sweden's own Spitfire
  A set of nice air-to-air pictures of RW386, Spitfire Mk. XVI recently acquired by the Swedish company Biltema, flying over the south of Sweden [Dagens Nyheter]
  

Labels: history, warbirds

• A new pair of images have been added in Historic Photographs section
  


• In modelling, there are three new additions:
  
• Another Malta Spitfire Kitbash by Erik Whipple,
  
• Pin-up Spitfire Mk. IX modelled by Geoffrey Abreu,
  
• A new set of models from Tim Prosser's Spitfire Collection.
  


• A previously posted video of the newly-flown Spitfire Mk. I AR213 has now also been archived in the Video Section.
  


• We have also an additions in the Art & Memorabilia gallery, this time another impressive painting by Tim Prosser
  

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, videos

Labels: history, webmaster

• Three pilot portraits have been added in Historic Photographs section: W/Cdr James "Stocky" Edwards, RCAF, F/Lt Arnold Roseland, RCAF and P/O Bruce Little, RAAF.

Labels: history, site updates

• The Historic Photographs section has been enriched with four new images, including an autographed portrait of the top Australian fighter ace, Clive "Killer" Caldwell, from the collection of Tim Prosser (thanks!)
  


• We have also a new video in the Video Section. Provided by Colin Griffin via Mark Davies, this one shows the previously described first flight of Spitfire Mk. V BL628 YD-D. To my knowledge, no other videos of BL628 have been released previously on the web, so this is something of a premiere!
  


• We have also four new additions in the Art & Memorabilia gallery. All those Spitfire keepsakes out there are extremely interesting, so keep them coming!
  


• The second part of the history feature Battle of Britain in the Words of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding has been posted in the Articles section. This part covers the organisation of British defences, from the radar chain to aircraft repair depots and air raid warnings. I'm sure you will find it an interesting reading.
  


• In the area of scale modelling, there are two new contributions: Ventura Spitfire PR Mk. XI modelled by Magnus Fridsell, and American Spitfire Mk. VIII in Italy built by Ricardo Dacoba.
  

That's all for now, I hope that this update contains something for everyone!

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, videos, warbirds

• http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2007/10/08/crashed-spitfire-is-back-from-dead-100252-19914440/
  


• http://www.thisiswirral.co.uk/display.var.1742542.0.archaeological_dig_for_spitfire_engine.php

Labels: history, warbirds

• Two new images with well-researched descriptions have been added in Historic Photographs section. Both images are the first photos at this site coming from private collections, and at least one of them has, to my knowledge, never been published before. Let's hope to see more such contributions in the future! (subject to copyright review)
  


• Also, we have a new video have been added in the Video Section, this time of the oldest flying Spitfire Mk. II P7350.
  

Labels: history, site updates, videos

• Interview with Mr. George Bromley , ex-Spitfire pilot of No. 32 Squadron in Italy, in support of the plans for the Spitfire Memorial in Southampton. From Daily Echo.
  


• Interview with Allan Oates, another pilot of No. 32 Squadron. From Chronicle Live.

Labels: history