The Bomber | The Fighters | Other Types

The Fighters

The Flight operates seven single seat fighter types, five Spitfires and two Hurricanes. This page details the operational history of each aircraft, and shows some of the markings they have appeared in while serving with the Flight.

The Spitfires

Produced in greater numbers than any other British combat aircraft before or since the War, 20,400 Spitfires were built in 22 different variants (excluding the navalised Seafire) and the aircraft remained in production for 12 years. The prototype's maiden flight took place on 5 th March 1936 and Mk1 Spitfires entered RAF service (with 19(F) Squadron) in August 1938. The development potential of the original design allowed the Spitfire to establish and then maintain the air superiority so vital to the defence of Britain and to keep pace with the improvements in performance of enemy fighters throughout WWII. Spitfires fought in every operational theatre of the War and remained in RAF front-line service up to 1954. At the end of its development the Spitfire carried an engine producing more than twice the power of the original, its maximum take-off weight and rate of climb had more than doubled, its firepower had increased by a factor of five and its maximum speed had been increased by a third; all this in essentially the same airframe. The Spitfire played a major part in achieving ultimate victory in WWII and truly deserves its place as probably the most successful fighter design ever, and certainly as the most famous and charismatic of all time.

P7350 (Mk IIa)

P7350 is the oldest airworthy Spitfire in the world and the only Spitfire still flying today to have actually fought in the Battle of Britain. She is believed to be the 14 th aircraft of 11,989 built at the Castle Bromwich ‘shadow' factory, Birmingham . Entering service in the August of 1940, she flew in the Battle of Britain serving with 266 Squadron and 603 (City of Edinburgh ) AuxAF Squadron. Whilst serving with the latter at Hornchurch, on or about 25 October 1940, she was involved in a combat with ME Bf 109s and forced to crash land. She was quickly repaired at No 1 Civilian Repair Unit, Cowley, and flew again on 15 November, only 3 weeks after the crash landing; repaired bullet holes can still be seen on her port wing. She subsequently served operationally with 616 and 64 Squadrons. After April 1942 she was relegated to support duties serving with the Central Gunnery School and 57 OTU and ending her operational career with 19 MU. During the War, ‘P7' suffered three 'Cat B' flying accidents (at Tangmere, Hornchurch and Sutton Bridge ).

Having survived the War, 'P7' was then sold for scrap to Messrs. John Dale Ltd in 1948 for the princely sum of £25; fortunately the historical significance of the aircraft was recognised and she was generously presented to the RAF museum at Colerne. Restored to flying condition in 1968 for the epic film 'The Battle of Britain', she was presented to the BBMF after filming was completed.

Since 1999 P7350 has worn the colours of 603 Sqn, the Squadron she served in during the Battle of Britain, initially representing XT-D, the aircraft of Squadron Leader George Denholm DFC, the Squadron Commander, then briefly XT-W for a photoshoot, the colours she was wearing when forced down in 1940. Now, she wears the letters XT-L, representing the aircraft of Gerald ‘Stapme' Stapleton, our most frequent veteran visitor who served on 603 Sqn all the way through the Battle of Britain. To read more about Stapme's operational experiences, click here.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIA P7350

AB910 (Mk Vb)

Built at Castle Bromwich in 1941, Spitfire AB910 had a remarkable front-line operational career spanning almost 4 years. The aircraft was initially allocated to 222 ( Natal ) Squadron at North Weald on 22 August 1941 but was soon re-allocated to 130 Squadron with whom it flew several convoy patrols and also escort patrols to the daylight bombing raids against the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in December 1941. In June 1942, AB910 was delivered to 133 (Eagle) Squadron at Biggin Hill. She flew 29 operational missions with this unit, including 4 sorties on 19 August 1942 during the fierce aerial battles in support of the Dieppe Raid, her pilots being credited with one Do217 destroyed and one damaged during these combats. AB910 continued to fly operationally up to July 1944, serving with 242 (Canadian) and 416 and 402 (RCAF) Squadrons. With 402 Squadron she flew numerous cover patrols over the Normandy invasion beach heads on D-Day itself ( 6 June 1944 ) and on subsequent days.

In addition to these operational assignments, AB910 was held on charge by various maintenance units and, after mid-July 1944, she was relegated to support duties with 53 OTU at Hibaldstow and then with 527 Squadron (a radar calibration unit). On 14 February 1945 , whilst at Hibaldstow, AB910 famously flew with an unauthorised passenger. LACW Margaret Horton, a WAAF ground-crew fitter, had been sitting on the tail whilst the aircraft taxied out to the take-off point (as was standard practice) without the pilot, Flt Lt Neil Cox DFC, realising she was there. The pilot took off with Margaret still on the tail. The combination of her weight on the tail and her grip on the elevator very nearly had disastrous results but fortunately the pilot was able to regain control and one circuit later he landed with a very frightened WAAF still wrapped around the tail!

In 1947 AB910 was purchased by Group Captain Alan Wheeler and was placed on the civil register as G-AISU for air racing. After a heavy landing during the Kings Cup Air Race in 1953, she was returned to Vickers-Armstrong where she was refurbished and subsequently flown regularly by Jeffrey Quill until being donated to the Flight in 1965.

AB910 is presented as Spitfire Mk Vb, EN951 ‘RF-D', the aircraft of Sqn Ldr Jan Zumbach, Officer Commanding No 303 (Kosciuszko) Sqn in 1942. To read more about the exploits of the pilot and his aircraft click here.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb AB910

MK356 (Mk LFIXe)

MK356 was built at Castle Bromwich and delivered to Digby in March 1944 fitted with a Merlin 66 engine, optimised for operations at low level and below 25,000 feet. She was allocated to 443 ‘Hornet' Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, which became part of 144 Canadian Wing, commanded by Wing Commander J. E. ‘Johnny' Johnson and was based at various locations on the South Coast of England. The aircraft flew its first operational mission from Westhampnett on 14 April 1944 as part of a ‘Rodeo' fighter sweep over occupied France . In the weeks leading up to the Invasion of France, MK356 was involved in various fighter and fighter-bomber missions. On D-Day +1 (7 June 1944) during an invasion beach head cover patrol, her pilot, Flying Officer Gordon Ockenden, a Canadian from Alberta, attacked 4 Me Bf109s “on the deck”. He chased one of the Messerschmitts, opened fire and obtained strikes. His wingman, Flt Lt Hugh Russell finished it off, so they were both credited with a shared kill. MK356 was damaged 3 times herself, including 2 belly landings and on 14 June lost a wheel on take-off; the pilot completing the mission prior to making a third belly landing. Normally the aircraft would have been repaired on site but the Squadron moved to a forward operating base in France the next day, leaving MK356 behind to be picked up and stored by a Maintenance Unit.

Post war MK356 was used as an instructional airframe, as a gate guardian at Hawkinge and Locking, and she also served as a static airframe in the film ‘The Battle of Britain' before going on display in the museum at St Athan. In January 1992 a complete refurbishment to flying condition was commenced and in November 1997 the aircraft flew for the first time in 53 years, subsequently moving to her present home with the BBMF. This season the aircraft is presented as UF-Q, MJ250 of No 601 ( County of London ) Squadron the aircraft of Flight Lieutenant Desmond Ibbotson DFC. She is in a silver paint scheme used during late 1944 when the Squadron carried out fighter bomber missions over the Balkans from bases in Southern Italy. For more details of the operational history of MJ250, see below.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IXe MK356

601 SQUADRON

ROYAL AUXILIARY AIR FORCE

Spitfire MkIX MJ250 and Flt Lt Ibbotson DFC*

BBMF Spitfire Mk IX MK356 appears in a new colour scheme for the 2008 display season, representing Spitfire MJ250 of 601 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force, which operated mainly in the ground attack role in Italy during 1944. The aircraft now commemorates the major contribution of the Auxiliary Air Force during World War Two, the efforts, achievements and losses of 601 Squadron (one of the most famous Auxiliary fighter squadrons), and commemorates one pilot in particular, a largely unknown hero, who paid the ultimate price.

Royal Auxiliary Air Force

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force owes its origin to Lord Trenchard’s vision of an elite corps of civilians who would serve their country in flying squadrons in their spare time. The first Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) squadrons were formed in 1925 and by 1939 there were 20 flying squadrons equipped with a variety of operational aircraft including Hurricanes and Spitfires. During the Battle of Britain the AAF provided 14 of the 62 squadrons in Fighter Command’s Order of Battle and accounted for approximately 30% of the accredited enemy kills. Throughout the course of WWII, AAF squadrons scored a number of notable successes and ‘firsts’, destroying the first German aircraft over British territorial waters and the first over the mainland, sinking the first U-boat with the aid of airborne radar, being the first to kill a V1 flying bomb and providing the highest-scoring British night fighter squadron. These achievements were honoured by the prefix “Royal” being conferred to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force by King George VI in 1947.

The final 21 RAuxAF flying squadrons were disbanded in 1957. In a message to the Auxiliaries at the time, HM The Queen recounted some of their exploits and the battle honours won by Auxiliary Squadrons for Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, the Atlantic, Malta, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Arakan, Burma, Normandy, France and Germany. “The history of the Auxiliary Air Force”, the Queen said, “has been a glorious one”.

Today the RAuxAF still exists as part of the RAF’s volunteer reserve but there are no longer any Auxiliary flying squadrons. Its mission now is to provide trained personnel in support of the RAF, specifically No 1 Force Protection Wing and 3 Squadron RAF Regiment and its personnel have deployed in support of operations in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

601 Squadron

One of the most famous Auxiliary Air Force squadrons was 601 (County of London) Squadron. The squadron was formed at Northolt in October 1925 after a group of wealthy aristocratic young men, all of whom were amateur aviators, decided to form themselves into a Reserve Squadron of the RAF after a meeting in White’s Club, London. The original officers were picked by the first commanding officer, Lord Edward Grosvenor.

Starting life as a light bomber squadron, 601 Squadron became a fighter squadron in 1934 and by the time of the Battle of Britain was equipped with Hurricanes. The Squadron was initially known as “the millionaires squadron”, a nametag gained because of a reputation for filling their ranks with the very ‘well heeled’. Most of these affluent young pilots had little regard for the rigid discipline of the regular service; they lined their uniform tunics with bright red silk and wore blue ties rather than the regulation black. They played polo on brand-new Brough Superior motor cycles, drove fast sports cars (the squadron car park was said to resemble a concours de elegance) and most of the pilots owned their own private aircraft. However, the war quickly took its toll on the pre-war personnel and as replacements were drafted in from all walks of life and all parts of the Commonwealth to cover casualties and promotions, the Squadron became as cosmopolitan as any other.

After the Battle of Britain the Squadron was involved in fighter sweeps over the Continent and in August 1941 was selected to be the first Fighter Command squadron to re-equip with the Bell P-39Airacobra I – an entirely unsuccessful and short-lived experiment. The Squadron was re-equipped with Spitfires in March 1942 and sailed for the Middle East in June ’42, where it joined the Desert Air Force. Fighter sweeps over the Western Desert started a few days later and after the rout of the Afrika Corps at El Alamein, the Squadron moved westwards to Tunisia, where it was present at the end of the North African campaign in May 1943. The next month (June 1943) it flew to Malta to become part of 244 Wing and to cover the Allied landings in Sicily, moving into captured airfields in mid-July 1943. From Sicily, 601 Squadron moved to the Italian mainland in October 1943, where it spent the rest of the war flying ground attack missions in support of the Allied armies as they advanced the length of Italy.

601 Squadron Operations in Italy 1943-45

The pace of the war in Italy was relentless for 601 Squadron and so was the casualty rate. Group Captain Hugh ‘Cocky’ Dundas DSO, the Wing Leader for 244 Wing, of which 601 Squadron was a part (along with 4 other Spitfire squadrons), later opined that, “The last four to six months of the war in Italy were the most dangerous and terrifying period of the war. Not only were the Germans now extremely accurate in their ground-to-air firing, but a consignment of 500lbs bombs that we used had faulty detonators and at least two of our pilots were blown to smithereens in bomb dives”. There can be no doubt that flying heavily bomb-laden Spitfires on ground attack sorties against a determined, disciplined, and dug-in foe was a very dangerous occupation. Consequently, many brave and skilled pilots of 244 Wing were lost over Northern Italy during the last hard-fought months of World War Two. Many of these men are now buried in the war cemeteries dotted around the Po valley, Ravenna, Venice, and Bologna, but many more still remain undiscovered along with their aeroplanes beneath the waves of the Adriatic Sea. Whilst it is certainly true that much less has been written about the Italy campaign, as compared with the advance through northern Europe following D-day, there can be little doubt it that the Italy campaign was an equally grim and bloody struggle to victory.

During the final month of their war in Italy, 601 Squadron achieved a record 1,082 operational hours in the month – the first time that a fighter squadron had exceeded the thousand-hour mark in this theatre. There was a heavy price to pay for this. From 9 th to 25 th April 1945, when 244 Wing were in the forefront of the attack against the German ‘Gothic Line’, striking targets along the Senio River and the Po valley, anti-aircraft fire resulted in 55 of their Spitfires being destroyed. In addition, 41 of the Wing’s aircraft were so badly damaged by enemy fire that they could not be repaired and another 31 were hit and damaged but were repaired by the hard-working ground crews. Altogether, 127 of 244 Wing’s aircraft were hit by ground fire during this period of intense operations, more than a 100% strike rate by the enemy against the 90-100 aircraft with which the Wing started the month. The maximum pilot strength on each of the squadrons was 18 men, but in practice it was usually 15 or 16. Of those, nearly 15% were listed as dead or missing during these three weeks, and a good deal more had either baled out or force-landed.

601 Squadron’s last operational sortie took place only two days before the cease-fire and on this sortie the Spitfire of Flying Officer Hallas was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft crashed with Hallas still on board and he was killed – the last 601 Squadron wartime pilot to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Air Ministry figures record that during the WWII, 601 Squadron destroyed more than 300 enemy aircraft in the air and 6 on the ground, plus 116 enemy aircraft damaged in varying degrees. In the ground attack role the Squadron destroyed 300 vehicles and damaged 334. Total casualty figures for 601 Squadron for World War Two are not easy to obtain but there is no doubt that this proud record came at a considerable cost in lives.

RAF Spitfire Fighter-Bomber Tactics in Italy 1944

During the Italian winter of 1943/44 the Desert Air Force introduced a new form of close air support, a ‘cab-rank’ system where formations of patrolling fighter-bombers were maintained over the front lines to be called down upon targets by RAF liaison officers embedded with the forward elements of the Army. This command and control system was referred to by the British as “Rover David” or “Rover Paddy”, after the radio call sign of the ground controllers. The forward air control team, which usually consisted of a combat-experienced pilot and an Army officer, positioned itself overlooking the front line. Infantrymen encountering resistance that required air support ra­dioed the Rover unit, which passed the request to the fighter control centre. If a request was approved, the Rover unit contacted designated aircraft on station and t he forward air controller identified and pin-pointed the target to the circling Spitfires, which then dropped their 500lb bombs on the targets, sometimes just a few hundred yards ahead of the advancing allied ground troops. After the bomb dive, the Spitfires would pull-up, turn around and roar back down onto the target to make low-level strafing runs at any transport, armoured personnel carriers and anti-aircraft gun emplacements that were left intact. If the aircraft were hit during these low altitude runs, there was no time for the pilot to successfully bale out, and crash-landing in the unforgiving terrain was often an unsuccessful option.

Bill Bundock, one of those unsung heroes who made up the majority of the pilots, flew Spitfire dive bombing sorties from Perugia airfield, (which was 601 Squadron’s base in July and August 1944). He explains in his own words what it was actually like to fly Spitfire ground attack missions in Italy:

“We flew dive bombing sorties in close support to the Eighth Army, attacking any target which seemed to be blocking the progress of the Army up the Italian country. The system always worked very well and after a couple of sorties our bombing accuracy with the Spitfire IXs became excellent.”

“We were airborne and waiting for a call from our Rover control, when he came on the air and asked us to go to a small airfield right on the front line. Our controller described the situation to us. Our troops were around the perimeter of the airfield but were pinned down by gunfire being directed from the control tower. He asked us to attack the tower in order to eliminate this observation post. We carried out our normal bombing run starting at 10,000 feet and going into a dive of about 80 degrees, this allowed us to keep sight of the target right up to the moment when we started to pull out of the dive at about 3,000 feet. We didn't have a bomb sight but dropped our bombs by judgement, as we started to pull out the target disappeared under our noses, we then released our bomb which was a 500-pounder. By this time having been in a steep dive for some 7,000 feet we were travelling very fast and the aircraft had to be very carefully handled or you could bend the wings by exerting too much 'G' force. It always surprised me that we could achieve any accuracy bombing in this way but our results were consistently good and in this particular sortie our own troops were only about 250 yards from our target, so obviously our Rover control had faith in our accuracy. Having finished our bombing run we regained height whilst our Rover control was getting very excited saying that we had successfully destroyed the observation post and that the Germans were abandoning the place. He asked us if we could come in again for a strafing run as the Germans were all easily seen and without cover. We then made a low level attack, being guided by the controller and as we came in we could see the Germans running through an olive grove. We went in turn, firing our 20mm cannon and 0.50 machine guns, each of us making several attacks until all our ammunition was expended.”

Spitfire MJ250 “UF-Q”

One of the 601 Squadron aircraft that was involved in these fighter-bomber operations in Italy was Spitfire LFIX MJ250, which was built by Vickers Armstrong in 1943, being fitted with a Rolls Royce Merlin 66 engine. MJ250 was delivered to the RAF in October 1943 and was shipped out to theatre in the SS Fort George, leaving UK in December ’43. The Air Ministry Form 78 (the movement card) for this aircraft ‘dries up’ after MJ250 arrived in theatre in early 1944 but we know from the 601 Squadron operational records (Form 541), that MJ250 was being flown by the Squadron from July 1944, whilst the unit was operating from Perugia, Loreto and Fano. The aircraft flew numerous operational sorties with 601 Squadron most of them air-to-ground bombing missions. MJ250 wore the 601 Squadron code UF-Q but was unusual in that it sported a natural, polished metal, all-silver finish (as shown in the only wartime photograph that exists of the aircraft) rather than the normal Desert Air Force sand and brown camouflage scheme worn by most of the Squadron’s other Spitfires.

Flt Lt Desmond Ibbotson DFC*

Flt Lt Desmond Ibbotson DFC and bar was one of the 601 Squadron pilots who flew MJ250 regularly, in fact he flew the aircraft on at least 16 occasions. In all but his reckless courage, Desmond Ibbotson was quite unlike the moustachioed, ex-public school, RAF pilot of legend or those affluent young Auxiliary pilots who were part of 601’s ‘Millionaire Squadron’ past. He was born near Leeds and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. His family emigrated to New Zealand, but they failed to settle and returned to Yorkshire where he got a job as a joiner's apprentice. He volunteered for the RAF in 1940 at the age of 19, enlisting as a lowly "erk", an Aircraftsman 2nd Class but he was selected for pilot training, gaining his wings in 1941, and soon proved to have exceptional talent. To win a Distinguished Flying Cross was a remarkable achievement; to win it twice, earning a bar to the medal, showed courage of a rare order. His first operational tour was with 54 Squadron, based in Hornchurch, Essex, which he joined in August 1941. In June 1942, he was posted to North Africa and it was over the Sahara that he flew into the annals of the war with 112 and 601 Squadrons. Altogether, he notched up 1,000 flying hours and downed at least 11 enemy aircraft. He survived being shot down on 3 occasions, the first time only a month after arriving in the desert. In November 1942, his plane was hit and he crash landed at an airstrip that had just been captured by the Germans. He was seized by troops of the Afrika Korps and taken to see the Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel, in person. However, when an opportunity presented itself shortly afterwards, he escaped, walked through the night, and was returned to his squadron by friendly Bedouins. He was soon back in action but was shot down again in December, again surviving unscathed. The citation for Desmond Ibbotson’s DFC in 1943 stated: In the campaign in the western Desert, Pilot Officer Ibbotson has flown with great distinction and has destroyed at least seven enemy aircraft. Throughout, his keenness and determination has been inspiring. The bar to his DFC was awarded in May 1944.

In November 1944, one month after his 23rd birthday, Desmond Ibbotson was coming towards the end of a break from operational flying. He had been sent back to Perugia on a brief respite away from the Squadron and from operations to test fly Spitfires; he was looking forward to returning to 601 Squadron and was due some leave. What happened that day may never be known but Desmond Ibbotson did not live to see the end of it. When his Spitfire hurtled to earth in the countryside south of Assisi, it hit the ground with such force that parts of it were buried more than eight metres below the surface.

At the time of the crash what remains of Desmond Ibbotson were found were quickly buried in Assisi cemetery. However, the crash site was excavated in 2005 and more remains were found, which were eventually traced to being those of Desmond Ibbotson. So in June 2007 at a rededication service at Assisi, the Yorkshire-born pilot was finally laid to rest with full military honours and due ceremony, in the presence of some of his family - a final twist in the tale of 601 Squadron’s contribution to the grim and bloody campaign for victory in Italy during 1944.

PM631 (Mk PRXIX)

Built in November 1945 as a high altitude photo reconnaissance aircraft with a Griffon 66 engine and pressurised cockpit, PM631 was too late to see operational service in WWII. She was delivered to the RAF in 1946 and issued to 203 Advanced Flying School in May 1949. Modified for meteorological work, she was leased to Short Bros and was flown by civilian pilots with the Temperature and Humidity Monitoring (THUM) Flight based at Hooton Park and Woodvale. On 11 July 1957 , in formation with Spitfires PS853 and PS915, the aircraft was flown to Biggin Hill to form the Historic Aircraft Flight which later developed into the BBMF. Unlike the other two Mk XIXs that spent time as gate guardians, PM631 has remained in flying condition with the Flight and is the BBMF's longest serving aircraft, with 2008 being her 51st year of continuous service on display duties.

PM631 is painted as an early PRXIX of 541 Squadron which performed high altitude reconnaissance missions over the European theatre from early 1944 to the end of the war. Appropriately the 541 Squadron motto was ‘Alone Above All'.

Spitfire PRXIXs were unarmed but could fly at 370mph at 40,000 feet (with pressurised cockpits) and had a range of 1500 miles. Mk XIX Spitfires represent the ‘top end' of development of the Spitfire and indeed of piston engine aircraft, demonstrating the incredible development potential of the original Spitfire design.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIX PM631

PS915 (Mk PRXIX)

PS915 entered service just too late for the war, joining 541 Squadron at Benson in June 1945 before moving to the PR Development Unit to take part in tests of new cameras. Assigned to 2 Squadron at Wunsdorf in Germany she later flew strategic reconnaissance sorties in connection with the East/West divide of Europe . She was returned to the UK in 1951, moving to 9 MU at Cosford before joining the THUM Flight at Woodvale in 1954. In 1957, PS915 became a founder member of the Historic Aircraft Flight, the forerunner of the BBMF, but was quickly retired to gate-guardian duties, serving in that capacity for nearly 30 years at West Malling, Leuchars and Brawdy. She re-joined the BBMF in 1987 after being modified to take an ex-Shackleton Griffon 58 engine and refurbished to flying condition by British Aerospace (Warton Division).

PS915 currently wears the colour scheme and markings of PS888, a PRXIX of 81 Squadron based at Seletar in Singapore during the Malaya Campaign. This aircraft conducted the last ever operational sortie by an RAF Spitfire when, on 1 April 1954 , it flew a photographic mission over an area of jungle in Johore thought to contain hideouts for Communist guerrillas. For the occasion the aircraft's ground crew painted the inscription ‘The Last!' on the left engine cowling. The longevity of the Spitfire design is evident, as the aircraft type which first entered service in 1938 was still serving operationally with the RAF 16 years later despite rapid developments in the performance of military aircraft during that time.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIX PS915

The Hurricanes

The Hurricane is one of the classic fighters of all time. It was designed and built for war, it was at the forefront of Britain's defence in 1939/1940 and it played a major part in achieving victory in 1945. The prototype made its maiden flight on 6 th November 1935 and deliveries to the RAF commenced just before Christmas 1937 (to 111 Squadron at Northolt). During the Battle of Britain, RAF Fighter Command fielded more Hurricanes than Spitfires, and Hurricanes achieved a similarly greater proportion of combat kills during the Battle . A remarkable total of 14,533 Hurricanes were built and the aircraft served operationally on every day throughout hostilities, in every operational theatre and in many roles. At the end of WWII in 1945, Hurricanes were still in the front-line helping to ensure final victory in the Far East .

LF363 (Mk IIc)

This aircraft is believed to be the last Hurricane ever to enter service with the RAF. It first flew on 1 January 1944; it was delivered to 5 MU on 28 January that year and was in continuous RAF service from then until a crash landing in 1991. The aircraft served with 63, 309 (Polish) and 26 Squadrons before the cessation of hostilities. Unlike many Hurricanes, LF363 was not scrapped but served on various station flights. She also appeared in the films 'Angels One Five', 'Reach for the Sky' (the story of Group Captain Douglas Bader's life) and 'The Battle of Britain' as well as the television series 'The War in the Air'. LF363 became a founding member of the RAF Historic Flight at Biggin Hill in July 1957.

On 11 September 1991, whilst enroute from Coningsby to Jersey , LF363's engine suffered a mechanical failure and it started to run rough and to lose power, pouring smoke from the exhaust stubs. The pilot diverted to RAF Wittering but the engine failed completely at a late stage of the approach, resulting in a crash-landing on the airfield. The aircraft was seriously damaged by the crash and the ensuing fierce fire; fortunately the pilot escaped with a broken ankle and minor burns. LF363 was completely re-built by Historic Flying Ltd at Audley End between 1994 and 1998, when it flew again for the first time in seven years, subsequently re-joining the BBMF.

LF 363 currently wears the colours of Hurricane Mk1 P3878 'YB-W', the aircraft of Flying Officer Harold Bird-Wilson of No 17 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. Throughout the Battle , N o 17 Squadron was in the thick of the action over southern England , mainly based at Debden and Tangmere. ‘Birdy' had previously had a pre-war flying accident in which he was badly burned, becoming one of the earliest aircrew 'guinea pig' patients of the famous, pioneering plastic surgeon, Sir Archibald McIndoe. After his recovery he joined N o 17 Squadron in April 1940 and fought continuously through the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, achieving 6 confirmed kills, sharing in the destruction of several others and being awarded a DFC. His luck ran out on 24 th September when he became Adolf Galland's 40 th victim and had to bale out of a flaming YB-W over the channel. 'Birdy' survived the war and retired as an Air Vice Marshall having been awarded the CBE, DSO, DFC and Bar and the AFC and Bar. He died aged 80 in August 2000. To learn more about Harold Bird-Wilson and P3878 click here.

No 17 Sqn currently operates the latest RAF fighter, the Typhoon, and is based at RAF Coningsby alongside the BBMF.

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc LF363

PZ865 (Mk IIc)

The last Hurricane ever built (of 14,533), PZ865 rolled off the production line at Langley, Buckinghamshire, in the summer of 1944 with the inscription ‘The Last of the Many' on her port and starboard sides. The aircraft was almost immediately purchased back from the Air Ministry by Hawkers and initially mothballed, before being employed as a company communications and test aircraft. In 1950, wearing the civilian registration G-AMAU, it was entered in the Kings Cup Air Race by HRH Princess Margaret. Flown by Group Captain Peter Townsend it achieved second place. During the 1960s, PZ865 was returned to its wartime camouflage scheme and was used as a company 'hack' and communications aircraft. It appeared in 'The Battle of Britain' film and also made numerous display appearances, often in the hands of the famous fighter pilot and test pilot Bill Bedford. After a complete overhaul, PZ865 was flown to Coltishall in March 1972 and given to the Memorial Flight by Hawker Siddeley. For many years the aircraft appeared as 'The Last of the Many' but eventually the inscription was removed and put on display in the BBMF headquarters.

PZ865 is currently painted to represent Hurricane IIc BE581, ' Night Reaper ', the aircraft flown by the Czech fighter ace Flt Lt Karel Kuttelwascher DFC during night intruder operations from Tangmere in 1942 with the RAF's legendary No 1(F) Squadron. In only 15 night intruder missions 'Kut', as he was know to his colleagues, shot down 15 enemy bombers (3 in one night on 5 May 1942) over their own airfields in France; he also damaged a further five bombers and shot up several steam locomotives and 'E' boats. The single-seat Hurricanes were not radar equipped, so targets could only be found visually and without the benefit of modern aids to night vision. With their Hurricanes fitted with long-range drop tanks, night intruder pilots flew long sorties of 3 to 3½ hours, often in poor conditions and completely alone. 'Kut's aircraft, BE581 'JX-E', wore the ' Night Reaper ' motif on the starboard engine cowling and 'Kut' had swastika 'kill' symbols painted under the cockpit on the port side. When his three kills from the night of 5 May 1942 were added there were 11 swastika symbols displayed ('Kut' eventually achieved a total of 18 confirmed kills). The aircraft's rudder and a panel on the port wing had to be replaced with black-painted items from a ‘Turbinlite' Hurricane (BD770) due to 'flak' damage incurred by BE581 on that sortie. This is all faithfully replicated on PZ865 as a ‘snapshot in time'. 'Kut' survived the war but died in 1959 from a heart attack – he was only 42. To learn more about Flt Lt Karel Kuttelwascher and BE581 click here.

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIc PZ865

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