Spitfire MK297 History

I like the ‘ Luftwaffe’ Mentor in the distance.

Spitfire MK297

OK, presumably you mean BEFORE the fire. In which case, a sensible answer is this one:

MK297: Spitfire LFIX C/no CBAF.IX.1514. Built at Castle Bromwich. To 6 MU 30-1-44, 411 Squadron 12-2-44, 66 Squadron 17-2-44, Air Service Training Hamble 12-2-45. Sold to Royal Netherlands Air Force 27-9-46 as ‘H-55’ later ‘H-116’. To Belgian Air Force 16-6-52 as ‘B-15’ later ‘SM-43’. To COGEA and civil registered as OO-ARB in May 1956. As such, appeared in the 1962 movie “The Longest Day”

To UK on 28-4-64 with civil registration G-ASSD. Registered to Film Aviation services Ltd Horley, Surrey. Re-registered 11-3-65 to Reginald Wale, Cambridge. Registration G-ASSD cancelled 1-9-65 as “to USA”, but restored 20-5-66 to John Crewsden of Cambridge. Re-registered 29-9-66 to Graham Rich, Fakenham, Norfolk.

UK civil registration canceled 18-4-69: to USA as N1882 later NX9BL then with Confederate AF Breckenridge Texas as N11RS. Destroyed in hangar fire, Hamilton Ontario (Canada). Airworthy prior to its destruction in hangar fire, 15 February 1993

Source: http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p069.htm
and http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/HistoricalMaterial/G-ASSD.pdf
and http://www.strijdbewijs.nl/birds/spitfire/registraties.htm
and http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Preserved/Spitfire.html

Never went anywhere near Douglas Bader, as he was a “guest” of the Third Reich at the time (August 1941 to April 1945). The confusion stems from the code letters applied when with 411 Squadron – it was coded “DB-S”, and Douglas Bader’s Spitfire had the “personal” code “D-B”

And here’s some footage of MK297 in the 1988 TV series “Piece of Cake” http://youtu.be/6R7pDoBSrKg

Bader flew a late Spit in the victory fly past in 1945 but it was IX RK917 from the North Weald station flight. Not Liverpool based, sadly

She appeared in Piece of Cake, as well.

I remember seeing a pic of ‘297 after her crash in the early 1980s. The fuselage ooked pretty badly twisted!

I happened to be at the CAF show in 1982 and clearly remember the Spitfire routine.
During it, the announcer stated that the aircraft was painted to represent one of Bader’s, He then went on to state that he had just died a day or two before.
That is how I learned if Bader’s passing. There was no mention of him actually flying hat ship.

I know that Bader was shot down flying a Mk V, so would not have flown a Mk IX before then. Is it possible that MK297 was based in the vicinity of Liverpool later in the war though?

A quick Google threw some links up, but apart from a mention that if flew with DB’s codes in later life, I can’t see anything that has any provenance regarding the man himself actually having flown it?

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

The CAF painted it in D-B codes in the 1970’s in his honour but I would be extremely doubtful that he flew it when it was in RAF or CAF service.

Mark

I try to ignore those things but got caught by that haha very funny… now can anyone help with the info?

Before or after the fire?

well, I thought that was funny:D

Before the fire i remember reading about someone researching her past and that came to light but wasnt proven then the fire happened end of the line..

Before or after the fire?