70TH ANNIVERSARY SPITFIRE AIR SHOW

VETERANS ATTENDING SPITFIRE REUNION & SIGNING
This Spitfire signing is a mega extravaganza given that there are 20 Spitfire vets on both days, the majority of which haven’t signed anything before and whose stories will feature in Dilip Sarkars next book, ‘Spitfire Voices’. For details on Victory Books please checkout the site.http://www.VictoryBooks.co.uk

Saturday 2nd September

Pilots

The following Spitfire pilots all flew with 152 ‘Hyderabad’ Squadron, and between them flew in the European and Far Eastern Theatres. Some of these men have not seen each other since 1945: –

Flt Lts Dear DFC, Gray, Jones, Anderson, Davis, Tooth, Plumbridge, Unsted, & Potter.

Flt Lt Ken Wilkinson flew Spitfires with 19 Squadron at Duxford during the Battle of Britain, and later flew on cross-Channel sweeps before becoming an instructor.

Sqn Ldr Michael Wainwright AFC flew Spitfires with 64 Squadron at Kenley and Hornchurch throughout the Battle of Britain.

Flt Lt Alex Vale DFC CPM flew Spitfires in all theatres of war.

Flt Lt Ken Coop flew Spitfires with 253 Squadron in Italy and Austria.

Mr Peter George was a ferry pilot who delivered Spitfires to front line squadrons.

Support Staff

Mr Ray Johnson was an Armourer of 152 Squadron throughout WW2.

Mr John Milne was an Airframe Fitter on 19 Squadron at Duxford during the Battle of Britain.

Mr Sidney Sexton was an Engine Fitter who worked on Spitfires at Coltishall and in the Far East.

Mr & Mrs Sidney Denney worked as fitters on Spitfires at RAf Lyneham, where they met during WW2.

Mr K Burton served as an Airframe Fitter with 124 Squadron in England during 1944.

Sunday 3rd September

Pilots

Flt Lt Syd Cleaver flew Spitfires in India, against the Japanese, with 607 Squadron.

Flt Lt Ken Wilkinson, please see entry September 2nd.

Flt Lt Richard Jones flew Spitfires with 19 Squadron at Duxford during the Battle of Britain.

Group Captain JR Gibbons AFC flew Spitfires in Burma, against the Japanese.

Mr AP Goodfellow was a Fleet Air Arm pilot and flew both Spitfires and Seafires.

Flt Lt Eddie Habberley flew Spitfires in India with Syd Cleaver; the pair have not met since 1945.

Flt Lt Maurice Macey DFC was shot down over Normandy in his Spitfire and captured. When repatriated in 1945, he was actually landed at Duxford, from where he took off in September 1945 when participating in the first post war Battle of Britain mass fly past over London, led by Group Captain Douglas Bader.

Flt Lt F Mlejnecky was a Free Czech Spitfire pilot who flew against the Germans from bases both in England and the continent.

Warrant Officer Arthur Rogers flew bomber escort missions from Manston with 118 Squadron and later ground attack sorties over the continent with 66 Squadron.

Flt Lt John Slade flew Spitfires with 253 Squadron in Italy.

Flt Lt GF Pyle flew Spitfires with 129 Squadron from bases in England before converting to Mustangs ready for the invasion of Normandy.

Flt Lt GW Ingamells likewise flew Spitfires in the Eurpean Theatre of Operations.

Flt Lt Rodney Scrase DFC flew Spitfires over the North African Desert, where he saw much action, and on bomber escort missions from the UK. Rodney also provided escort to the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, returning from Paris in 1944.

Flt Lt Ken Collins flew Spitfires with 238 Squadron in Italy, Corsica and Southern France, and 94 Squadron in Greece.

Flt Lt N Musgrave flew with the former Rhodesian Prime Minister, Ian Smith.

Support Staff

Mr John Milne, see entry September 2nd.

Many Thanks to Moggy C. for letting me post this.
Cheers
Rob……