Wattisham in the 1960's

No-one has actually said,but I presume the 109 is Black 6?

Ah right:o, I was wondering if P9306 was ever kept at Watters’, so long as I’m not missing something!

I won’t start my I saw Shackleton at Long Marston and it reminded me of St Mawgan when I was a kid post:)

I have read and reread it and Im probably on go slow, but wheres the tangiable link between that Spit and Wattisham?

The link is the original poster. He was in Chicago looking at the Spitfire and posted a picture of it and some notes recalling his childhood years spent at Watisham.

I have read and reread it and Im probably on go slow, but wheres the tangiable link between that Spit and Wattisham?

This thread has confused the hell out of me, what has the Chicago Spit (which dosen’t look a mess to me) got to do with 1960s Wattisham?

What a mess.

Yes – but its a pretty much untouched mess – imagine all the original hardware and detail in there 🙂

I suspect G-ORDY will fill us in on the details from his book.

re

What a mess. Whats the history of this a/c and how did it end up in the states?

It’s also got a bl**dy big hole in the canopy!

re

and another showing the Spitfire from the port rear elevation

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The spit looks great but the canopy is filthy!

Ah, they’ve moved the Spitfire (hope they didn’t drop it :diablo:) – I visited in 2002 and it was still with the Ju 87 over the escalators and could only get “from under” photos.

Roger Smith.

ps – can’t help with your memories of Wattisham

Hi Roger

Yes – the Transportation Gallery has been redesigned – here’s a shot I took on 3rd September this year which gives a rough idea of the new layout – the Spitfire is now level with and behind the Stuka … with a Boeing 727 alongside both of them!

and another showing the Spitfire from the port rear elevation

Bf109’s and Spitfires

I took this photo of “the other” BF109 – the “E” now at Hendon – at Chivenor on 22 August 1969. It was fitted with the later hood at the time.

If your memories are from 1964 then the Spitfire would have been SM411 – now in Poland – EP120 and BL614 didn’t get to Wattisham until after they were used in The Battle of Britain film in 1968.

Here’s EP120 at Wattisham in 1984

and here’s BL614 during filming at North Weald in May 1968 (Graham Trant photo)

Fluffy – the colour scheme there reminds me of the old Airfix Bf109G-6 kit. Could that be where it came from? :confused:

Here she is in colour about 1963, she was then painted yellow 14 and the canopy would have been replaced with the Galland hood in 1971 as it was still on the aircraft when she was at Lyneham in 1972 at the start of her restoration. I am not sure if it is Brawdy it just says it is on the back of the photo in my collection.

Paul

Salad Fingers,

Here is a shot of SM411 at Wattisham as it was in 1963. The Spitfire had been here since 1955 and departed in 1967 for the BoB film, where it played a principal part in the ground running scenes.

Yes please to more shots of the Chicago Spitfire.

Please check your personal messages. 🙂

Mark

Wattisham Spitfire EP120

I think EP120 is in this Formation picture i took rgds

Thanks for those pictures Fluffy, the first shot looks more like the era i recall. A couple of questions for the experts! it seems the ME has had a Canopy change and a paint job sometime in the late 1960’s from the pictures Ive seen. Also i would not like to bet more than £50! but the shot taken at Brawdy…is not Brawdy! i spent 2 summers there doing the TAC weapons course in 1980 and 1987. From what i recall there are no tall trees on the base. In fact looking at the vehicles in the background i would have said it was taken in the early 1960’s. Looks more like Woodbridge or Bentwaters to me, but then again looks like an RAF Base…many thanks again rgds SF

Heres the Bf 109 at Wattisham in the 60s and at Brawdy 1971

The spitfire was not in situ during my time although i recall an EP marked on later by the parade sq.

Spitfire Mk V, EP120, now airworthy with The Fighter Collection at Duxford.

Thanks

Thank you for the quick reply, yes thats what the ME109 looked like when i was a 5 year old! Cant belive the cockpit was open and we were allowed to play in it! The spitfire was not in situ during my time although i recall an EP marked on later by the parade sq. My father flew in the Bof B film and was telling me how when they got P7350 back to Coltishall how bad she was. In fact it was ferried bu S/L Ron Stuart Paul who had an engine flame out en route and had to land dead stick at horsham St Faith. When they opened the Cowling a pipe to the Carb was wrongly fitted causing fuel starvation…It almost never made the Bof B Flt! Many thanks again rgds SF
If you would like more close up shots of the Chicago spit happy to post, the Canopy has a big hole in it!

Here are three shots by the late Ron Cranham taken in August 1971. Your 109, white/yellow14, and a couple of shots of BL614, still then thought to be ‘AB871’ and in its post BoB film livery.

Mark