Photo of Seafire remains SX300

I know, I know, but you know what I mean!

One of these days I will retire, and I will need something to do! Not that there is any shortage right now. Aside from family commitments, I have all the aircraft at the museum to look after (not that I do it on my own), plus my Vampire, two Jaguar XJ6’s, neither of which are roadworthy at present, and I keep looking at other projects!

Ah well

Bruce

Bruce -be careful what you wish for! I thought you had enough on !

One Jet Provost – which I owned at the time, but never collected, and didnt have a home for, so I sold it on 🙁

I wish I still had it; I could have had it running by now!

Bruce

Would this be the same one that I heard about whilst collecting a turret from what I recall as being a small holding in Oxfordshire, around 1995?

I was told that the Spitfire project under restoration there had been all but destroyed in a fire but I never heard the full story and I cannot quote a serial or even the owner’s name.

Anyone got more details?

Yes, indeed, it was Peter Woods place in Twyford, Bucks (near Bicester).

I collected a Chipmunk from him (WZ876 G-BBWN) circa 1999, and there were several other Chipmunks, some Jet Provosts, and at least one Spitfire/Seafire inside (along with a few classic cars) with numerous other parts scattered outside.

However, pointing a camera in any direction was frowned upon, and pointing it inside at the cars,Spitfre/Seafire, Typhoon cockpit (ex-Chippenham now with GAC, Staverton) and Merlins/Griffon’s (?) was a no-no. 🙁

No mention in Wrecks & Relics but i recall a news piece in Flypast shortly after (2001 ?) of an arson attack by youths on the buildings, but the Tiffie cockpit had (thankfully) moved on by then. 😀

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Just looked at a road map and Twyford, Bucks seems to fit in with my recollections – many thanks!

Now at the risk of hi-jacking this thread, what’s the current status/location/ownership of a Spifire once owned by a chap called (iirc) John Sykes, who ran a Triumph TR restoration and parts business in Cheshire?

Hanging folornly from a workshop roof in Fort Collins, Colorado. 🙁

MH603. Owner Joe Scognia.

Mark

Just looked at a road map and Twyford, Bucks seems to fit in with my recollections – many thanks!

Now at the risk of hi-jacking this thread, what’s the current status/location/ownership of a Spifire once owned by a chap called (iirc) John Sykes, who ran a Triumph TR restoration and parts business in Cheshire?

Buckinghamshire would be closer, but yes, this is one of the aircraft damaged in the fire

Twyford and Peter Wood ??

Buckinghamshire would be closer, but yes, this is one of the aircraft damaged in the fire.

Bruce

Sadly almost all the remains were destroyed whilst at a location which was subjected to an arson attack, the description I heard was it was burned out down to the cockpit floor, a very sad end.

Would this be the same one that I heard about whilst collecting a turret from what I recall as being a small holding in Oxfordshire, around 1995?

I was told that the Spitfire project under restoration there had been all but destroyed in a fire but I never heard the full story and I cannot quote a serial or even the owner’s name.

Anyone got more details?

The photo dates from late 80’s when the two largest ‘lumps’ of fuselage were put on temporary display when the museum was taking part in a BBC TV ‘Blue Peter’ treasure hunt competition that was running nationwide I believe. The other parts are Whitley remains as previously stated, some of which are now better displayed upstairs at the museum.
It quickly dissappeared back into storage with its then owner, although the very nicely restored seat and some propellor blades stayed at the museum in store for some years afterwards.
Sadly almost all the remains were destroyed whilst at a location which was subjected to an arson attack, the description I heard was it was burned out down to the cockpit floor, a very sad end. What became of what was left after that i’m not sure, but if the dataplate remains I’m sure well see it fly again one day !
The seat happily was not lost and I believe is now in the hands of a spitfire restorer for inclusion in another project.

Does anyone know the status of the Burmese aircraft, how many, etc., that is to say, the one’s still in Burma and not liberated several years ago?

I see now the second fire did even more damage, completely obliterating the the serial area.

Location Coventry, in the colour photo.

Mark

From what the owner (then) told me the fire consumed almost everything original and new except for the seat he had at home.

Date of photo wise – the blue caravan and new fencing at the rear puts it on the new (current) MAM site

Roger Smith

There’s no secret about where I took it – but I didn’t want to imply it was part of MAM’s collection. My notes on when I took it are in store but I think it was in the 80s.

I don’t think it is post the fire . The background doesn’t fit in any way with what I have seen at the location . Plus when I last saw the remains of SX300 it consisted of a bulkhead and that was about it. The picture appears to be somewhere like Baginton
(MAM). As for the chances of ‘300’ making it into the air – the supply of ‘short’ Griffon’s is very poor and surely the way to go for anyone who wants a Seafire is to buy a former Burmese aircraft

David,

You are absolutely correct. I had assumed those ‘perforations’ were the result of the second fire as they were not present in my 1973 liberation shots. They are clearly the result of the first fire combined with a 15 further years of industrial pollution.

I see now the second fire did even more damage, completely obliterating the the serial area.

Location Coventry, in the colour photo.

Mark

Yep, that photo was taken at the Coventry museum.

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I don’t think it is post the fire . The background doesn’t fit in any way with what I have seen at the location . Plus when I last saw the remains of SX300 it consisted of a bulkhead and that was about it. The picture appears to be somewhere like Baginton
(MAM). As for the chances of ‘300’ making it into the air – the supply of ‘short’ Griffon’s is very poor and surely the way to go for anyone who wants a Seafire is to buy a former Burmese aircraft

SX300

This looks like post the second fire, 2 June 1995. 😮

I would look in the North Weald area to locate the firewall bulkhead, data plates and current owner etc.

A project for the future.

Mark

some of the bits look to be Whitley