I just discovered this photo of the Swedish S 31 Spitfire before it was restored, with Major Axel Carleson standing next to it – he later became the first director of the Swedish Air Force Museum. Scanned from the 1991 Flygvapenmuseum Yearbook, page 111.
The second photo shows the result of the restoration as seen on our recent trip to the Museum.
By: DazDaMan - 19th July 2004 at 08:13
There you go then! 😉
By: Christer - 18th July 2004 at 19:25
I’m sure I saw a photo of this Spit in service in a book somewhere –
It appears in Morgan/Shacklady, Spitfire The History – First Edition on page 462.
Christer
By: Mark12 - 17th July 2004 at 23:15
On the waterfront.
A couple of shots PM627 at Toronto 7 June 1972.
Mark
By: DazDaMan - 16th July 2004 at 11:37
I’m sure I saw a photo of this Spit in service in a book somewhere – that serial is ringing alarm bells, at any rate! I’ll have to look it up later.
By: dhfan - 16th July 2004 at 01:17
I’m fairly sure there was an article in one of the mags a few years ago about this aircraft, it’s acquisition and restoration.
Great solution. It didn’t serve in Sweden so give it the next serial number. Obvious, when it’s pointed out, and brilliant.
By: Papa Lima - 15th July 2004 at 19:14
The only Spitfire to crash in Sweden during WW2
The following is a condensed translation of an article by Bengt Hermansson, in the Svensk Flyghistorisk Tidskrift 3/03:
On August 4, 1942 Spitfire PR Mk IV AB314 of 1 PRU came down in Funäsdalen, northern Sweden. The pilot, P/O Whitaker had been on a photo reconnaissance mission from Wick to Åsenfjord north of Trondheim, searching for the Tirpitz. Hit by heavy German flak, the Spitfire was severely damaged and unable to make it back to base. Whitaker baled out and while descending tried to set fire to his map, but the parachute caught fire too. He thought he was over Norway and wanted to destroy the evidence of his route.
Landing safely, Whitaker soon found himself under Swedish military guard, the local commander being HRH Prince Carl-Johan himself! During interrogation they found that they knew each other and embraced! It seems that they had both attended the same school, somewhere in the UK. He was sent to Falun to be interned, and was repatriated on 5 April 1943. P/O Whitaker was later killed over France in May 1944.
This was the only Spitfire to crash in Sweden during the war. The wreckage was stripped by local people to the extent that a technical examination was hindered. The remains were taken to F4 at Frösön for examination and later sold as scrap.
By: Papa Lima - 15th July 2004 at 18:55
More info:
Starting life as PM627, this Mk XIX had a chequered career, having flown in the RAF from late 1945-51. It served in the Indian Air Force between 1953 and -57 and was then displayed in the Indian Air Force Museum until it was bought in 1971 by the Canadian Fighter Pilots Association.
Located by the indefatigable Mr. Sölve Fasth of the AF Museum, this Spitfire was acquired in 1982 through a complex and costly barter deal. The Museum had to relinquish no less than one Tp79 (DC-3), one J34 (Hawker Hunter), one AD-4 Skyraider and two and a half (!) SAAB A32 Lansen attack jets.
In return, the Museum got one rather dilapidated Mk XIX, lacking its engine, mainwheels, most of the cockpit equipment, windscreen and canopy. The complicated and extremely thorough restoration took some 10 000 man hours, put in by volunteer Spitfire enthusiasts from 23 to 76 years old.
From: http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1998/08/stuff_eng_detail_spit19.htm
By: Stieglitz - 15th July 2004 at 18:43
Thanks for this additional info guys! 🙂
J.V.
By: Papa Lima - 15th July 2004 at 18:39
From the Museum booklet:
“. . . saw service in Germany and India. It then returned to Britain and was then sold to Canada where it became available to the museum, albeit in a state of disrepair. After a series of aircraft exchanges, the Air Force Museum Trust was able to bring the Spitfire to Sweden . . . officially handed over to the museum on 20th March 1989. Sölve Fasth led the research project whilst Kurt Zetterholm was responsible for the restoration work . . . The aircraft . . . on display did not serve in the Swedish Air Force. It is, however, an example of the same version as those that did.”
By: HP57 - 15th July 2004 at 18:21
PRXIX
It’s nr 51, indicating that it wasn’t originally used by the Swedish AF.
Sweden used 50 PR XIX’es but scrapped them all. This one came from India (I think?) through Canada before it was acquired by the Swedish in exchange (partly) for other aircraft.
Mk12 is better qualified to elaborate on that one.
Hope this helps a bit
Cheers
Cees
By: JDK - 15th July 2004 at 18:21
PR.XIX
I agree other colours on Spitfires are nice to see…
By: Stieglitz - 15th July 2004 at 18:03
Lovely shots Papa Lima. I also like to see spitfires which have fled from their native land to have a servicelife in other countries. Do you have more pics about this machine?
Is that a PR XIV variant of the spit or is it a other PR mark?
Good to see they are taking care of this great plane.
J.V.
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July 15, 2004 at 5:16 pm