Last operational Spitfire flight (I know, another Spitfire thread)

My late father served as an engineer in the RAF from 1946-1956 serving with a PR squadron and was involved in the Malayan Emergency. His claim to fame was that he strapped the pilot in his Spitfire for the final operational flight for the RAF. 

Operational.

Here is what the RAF/MoD think.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/line1950-59.html

Quote:

One of the stations Seletar/Changi/Tengah had a Spit as gate guard whilst I was there in 1958.

I think they all did. Seletar and Changi I can account for and have the photographs. The reported TP205, a MK XVIII, at Tengah still eludes me.

Mark

If the meaning ‘Operational’ mean’t a sortie flown in protecting a nation from aggression that surely is of operational necessity. I refer to the Spit in Singapore, Operation Firedog lasted from 1948 to 1960 this was due to Communist Insurgency, it was a war, I have the GSM (clasp Malaya) to prove it. One of the stations Seletar/Changi/Tengah had a Spit as gate guard whilst I was there in 1958.

Whether these aircraft were used in anger I do not know but because an aircraft does not drop bombs, fire guns or take high resolution photographs does not mean these aircraft were not operational. The Sunderlands I worked on dropped bombs but they also did anti-piracy patrols, search and rescue of people in distress and evacuation of people in an emergency situation. This was all part of the broader picture but a flypast in front of City Hall, Singapore in honour of the Governor-General in my opinion does not mean ‘in operation’ however I am sure the ORB would deem it to be!

‘The Cold War’ was a real war, the perceived threat to our nation was from the Soviet bloc countries, we were on a 24/7/365 days a year alert. We did QRA’s Quick Reaction Alerts and OTR’s Operational Turn Rounds but in my time no armaments were fired in anger.

I would imagine that ‘operational’ is a very grey area and would need clarification from todays MoD or from the annals of history from the AHB at Bentley Priory or the RAF Museum at Hendon

……..and there were some Mossys operating from there also a Meteor??

With deep respect to a Scouse aviation nut SPIT. I was a Staff Cadet on the AEF from about ’61 til ’64 and worked weekends in the tower whilst at college after that. I suspect you must have been thinking pre-’60 as the only aircraft other than UAS/AEF Chippies were the Meteors operating at the Ty Croes(?) range out of Woodvale. I couldn’t swear to it however I think there were 2 x F8s and 1 x T7?

Interestingly enough I used to fly with one of the ex-THUM pilots after that in another life. Eric Williams was his name I think.

Jagan,

India retired them in 1957 but when did they stop using them operationally.

The Burmese are most probably the last Air Force to use them on operations.There are indications that they were using them into the mid 1950 for COIN operations against the ‘Northern rebels’. Bare in mind they did not receive the final Mk IX Spitfires from Israel until 1955.

Mark

Mark,

if operations have to mean only ‘combat type’..i.e. firing guns in anger or carrying out a PR sortie against a hostile force, then I guess 1947 was last. however if it means being operated in a regular squadron (as opposed by being flown in a traiing unit) to carry out normal duties (like regular flying, border patrols, showing the flag, pilot ops training) then its got to be 1956-57. Though there was no ‘regular enemy’ to do these missions against.

I am assuming ‘Operational’ Use means regular usage by the force for normal duties, need not necessarily be against an enemy or hostile force.

Hi
I remember in 1963?? when I was an Air Cadet doing some AEF flying from Woodvale and there were some Mossys operating from there also a Meteor??

A slight detour so to speak, is there any record of P51’s and Spitfires coming up against each other in combat. I assume that somewhere at sometime their relative merits were tested against each other in comparison tests. Did Israeli P51 fight Egyptian Spitfires at any point for instance ?

[INDENT]the last Spitfire mission[/INDENT]

I think that this infers an operational sortie, that is definately how I read it.

Let me take this to a global level. When was the last operational Spitfire anywhere in the world? India retired them in 1957. But I dont have the exact date. There must have been other similar countries who operated them in regular units?

Jagan,

India retired them in 1957 but when did they stop using them operationally.

The Burmese are most probably the last Air Force to use them on operations.There are indications that they were using them into the mid 1950 for COIN operations against the ‘Northern rebels’. Bare in mind they did not receive the final Mk IX Spitfires from Israel until 1955.

Mark

As you say, Mark, one has to define terms.

‘operational’

‘front-line’ or ‘combat operation’

Surely ‘Operational’ is the key word here.

The ‘fly by’ of the HKAAF is no different to say the BoB Flight formation past Buck Pal a couple of weeks or so back.

Military servicemen flying RAF/MoD Spitfires.

THUM Flight were regarded as being flown by civilians.

The last ‘operational’ flight by PS888 ‘The Last’ from 81 Squadron RAF Seletar was to photograph an enemy/terrorist strong point….and I am sure as such was logged in the ORB, the Operations Record Book.

Mark

Let me take this to a global level. When was the last operational Spitfire anywhere in the world? India retired them in 1957. But I dont have the exact date. There must have been other similar countries who operated them in regular units?

THUM (Which was basically met flights) ceased using Spitfires in June 1957 it appears. If there were any met flights from Woodvale they would have been Mosquito.

Moggy (Having dug a little deeper)

Didn’t they operate from RAF Woodvale for a few years after this, Meteological Flight ????

611 Squadron conducted THUM (Temperature and Humidity) flights using the aircraft from RAF Woodvale. In 1957 the No 611 Squadron was disbanded and this also was the end of the operational service of the British legend, the Spitfire. The last one to fly in British military markings (!) took off from Woodvale that same year.

(From a Woodvale website)

I have some doubts about the veracity of this as I am well aware, from having watched them fly over my house, that THUM flights continued after the retirement of the Spitfire using Mosquitos. (Most of which went on to appear in 633 Sq)

MOggy